Thalia Grace & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief
by LubthaNiBriste
Summary: Rather than turned into a pine tree, Thalia is saved by Zeus and lives in an apartment in Brooklyn. But when none other than Percy Jackson steals her father's master bolt, she is ordered to keep an eye on the boy and retrieve the stolen weapon in time for the Solstice. Perlia. AU.
1. Pops Has a Proposition

Rain pelted the leather-clad figure, drenching her even further. She couldn't bring herself to care. She couldn't bring herself to care about much of anything. She began to sprint across the weathered road, one of her headphones tumbling out of her ear in the process. With a growl, she progressed to the sidewalk, not stopping to place the headphone back in her ear.

Having been the star of her school's track team for three consecutive years (courtesy of her beloved parents pushing her into athletics), she made it to the other side of the road quickly and safely, avoiding the oncoming traffic rush. Thalia Grace hated rainy days. She didn't find the weather soothing, like her mother did. It reminded her too much of her deadbeat father. Unpredictable, gloomy, troublesome.

The words applied to her as well. She hated that. She was too much like her father. Stubborn, disobedient, prideful, temperamental, arrogant. Thalia snorted. The words hardly began to describe her. Temperamental. What a laugh. Her mother was a raging, abuse alcoholic and her father pouted like a bitch when he didn't get his way. _What a combination, _she thought sarcastically, a smirk rising to her sharp features.

That smirk. The lazy half-smile. Crooked, charming grin. A trademark feature of her father's. The sneer left her plump, chapped lips almost as fast as it had risen. She crossed over yet another crowded road, traveling along the cracked sidewalk, headed in the direction of a small, worn dinner. As she neared the door, she dug into the pocket of her tight acid wash jeans, searching around for spare change.

A frown rose to her face as her hand came up with nothing but a drachma and a few strands of lint. "Godsdamn it." She snarled, clenching her jaw tightly. She had forgotten to bring what little mortal money she had stashed away in her wooden dresser back in her Brooklyn apartment.

"Language, my daughter." A man's soothing voice sounded from behind her.

Thalia released a sigh, "Why are you here?"

"As much as I'd hate to force such a task upon you, I request your assistance." As he spoke, Thalia swiveled around to study him.

Neatly trimmed beard, curly black hair, a face as stern as a freshly mined diamond. He looked just as she remembered him. He wore his casual blue, pinstripe suit, and his charcoal dress shoes shined like a baby's oiled bottom. Thalia quirked a smile.

"Buy me a cheeseburger?"

* * *

"So, this Son of Poseidon." Thalia paused to take a sip of her vanilla peppermint shake. "He stole your master bolt?"

Zeus grimaced, picking at the mortal _fries _with distaste, "Well, you know how I am, daughter—"

"Paranoid as hell."

"Thalia, don't interrupt me." He sighed, running a hand through his messy locks, "It's not for certain. But my nephew is the only candidate that is clear to me. My brother and I got into…quite an argument at the last Council."

"A big enough argument that he'd get his son to _steal_ your master bolt?" Thalia demanded, anger rising to her features, "That's outrageous. What is his motive?"

"We argued over the demigod visitation law that was passed nearly twelve years ago. He claimed I was being unfair. That I only passed the law to appease Hera," Thalia's mouth curled in disgust at the mention of his wife, "when in actuality, I thought it best that the Gods focus more on their duties, rather than their children."

"He wanted to see his son," Thalia frowned. "What's so wrong about that?"

"Thalia," the God of the Sky extended his hand to cup her left cheek affectionately, "I understand where he is speaking from. I undoubtedly miss spending time with you—and, you know—but if I spend much more time with you, the other Gods will discover your existence. I cannot and shall not allow such a thing to happen."

"You made the law to throw them off?" Thalia wanted to laugh in her father's face, but thought better of it when his eyebrows rose at the hint of irritation in her voice.

"I made the law because it was necessary." Zeus argued, being sure to keep his voice low when he noticed the waitresses gathering behind the counter to watch them with wary eyes.

He studied her with a strange gleam in his stormy blue eyes. His daughter was significantly tall for her age. No surprise there: her mother was nearly 6'1, and he himself (in his mortal form) was a striking 6'7. She looked to be around five-feet-ten or so, and at her youthful age of fifteen, she was already taller than Hercules was.

Her cropped black hair was spiked, a look he wasn't exactly fond of. It wasn't the shortness of his daughter's hair that irked him. It was the mutilation she inflicted upon it nearly every day. _Spiking _it. He thought she looked adorable with the unruly, curly black strands of hair that had adorned her head as a young child. Her _natural _hair.

Her lively cyan eyes, peering into his from over the large pile of plates (his daughter could _eat_), were identical to his own. She resembled her father in numerous ways, a fact that made him that much prouder of her. No other child looked almost exactly like him. Her strong jaw and chin, her sharp nose, her big cerulean eyes, her thick and naturally arched black eyebrows. The only parts of her face that failed to resemble him in some way were her high cheekbones and the light train of freckles that speckled her nose and cheeks.

A trait of her beautiful mother, who was a direct descendent of a Celtic tribe.

His daughter was beautiful, from her smoothly sculpted high forehead and plump lips, to the worn heel of her combat boots.

Her face was marred by a faint scar that ran through her left eyebrow, leaving the skin in that spot hairless. Zeus remembered the night she had obtained the scar as clear as the sky he ruled.

"Um, Dad. Stop staring at me. It's wiggin' me out." Thalia deadpanned, turning her attention to the window."

"Erm, yes." He cleared his throat. "I did not wish my brothers to discover you and inflict any pain upon you."

"Hades kind of already has." She sneered, finishing off the last of her shake.

"He does not know I saved you and slowed your growth. He believes you to be a pine tree. Everyone does." He reasoned, cautiously lowering his mouth to the straw that wavered in front of his face. He begrudgingly took a sip and scowled.

"It's a shake, Dad, it isn't gonna hurt ya."

Zeus rolled his eyes, "Right. So, where was I?"

"Hades. Pine tree. Everyone." She supplied, not missing a beat.

"Oh, yes. None of them know of you. If they knew—"

"They'd kill me, right? We've been through this before, Dad."

"You will be the child of the prophecy. The day of your eighteenth birthday, you will make a decision that will either destroy or save Olympus. My brothers, along with several other Olympians, do not approve of my offspring controlling the prophecy. Children of mine…they tend to be cocky, too sure of themselves, and uncontrollably power-hungry."

He paused for a moment, gauging his daughter's reaction. She appeared to be paying close attention to every word that exited his mouth. He continued, "I do not believe you to be this way. You are confident, but not to the point of letting your pride rule you and your motives. You crave power, but you know when to turn away. I have faith in you, Thalia."

Her eyes met his slowly, and she leaned closer to him, placing her elbows on the table separating them. She spent long minutes studying him, looking for any falseness in his cobalt hues. She saw none.

"What must I do to return your lightning bolt, father?"


	2. Go Fish

Thalia's lips tugged downwards in a frown as she studied the boy. He didn't look like he could break a twig, let alone _steal a lightning bolt_. That's not to say he looked weak—he didn't—but this was _Zeus' master bolt. _Someone would have to be clever, strong, quick, and agile to perform such a task and succeed. From what she'd seen so far, he wasn't a very fast runner in gym, or sneaky (he was almost as clumsy as her, for Rhea's sake), and he didn't appear to be the sharpest tool in the shed.

She couldn't help but have her doubts.

"Charona." a female's voice called from the front of the classroom. Thalia immediately glanced up, hearing her alias being spoken. "Would you mind explaining to Mr. Jackson why he shouldn't pass notes in class?"

The Daughter of Zeus felt put on the spot. She nervously glanced from Mrs. Dodds, their Geometry teacher, to the white board behind her. Everyone turned around in his or her seats to look at her…well, some were looking at Percy, who was blushing uncomfortably and shifting restlessly in his desk.

Attempting to play the situation off casually (but failing), she shrugged and flipped a page in her textbook. Snickers sounded across the room at her expense. She was too shy for her own good.

Thalia thought the whole situation was stupid. To begin with, her father sent her to attend Yancy Academy, a private school for delinquents, with the alleged Son of Poseidon, and expected her to blend in with a bunch of sixth graders. She was _fifteen_. Needless to say, she wasn't exactly fond of being there. Secondly, she was about one hundred percent sure Mrs. Dodds was some kind of monster, and a strong one at that.

And then there was Mr. Brunner, the Latin teacher. Thalia wasn't sure what to make of him. She'd catch him watching her in the middle of class, constantly. She had been going to school there for nearly two months and teachers were already beginning to stalk her. Great.

Percy Jackson was her lab partner in their next class, Chemistry. Thalia wanted to groan aloud, but refrained. The only studies she was even moderately good at were Algebra and Aerodynamics. But, no. Her father couldn't possibly sign her up for a class where she could actually understand what the teacher was saying.

Percy was an okay kid. Except for that nose-twitching thing he did. That made Thalia want to beat him over the head with a sledgehammer.

"So…uh, you going on that field trip?"

Thalia swiveled her head towards the sound to see a shyly smiling Percy, his eyes looking anywhere but her. "Field trip?"

Thalia hadn't heard word of any field trip. She didn't have very good experience with them. She shivered remembering the time her kindergarten class took a trip to a Science museum. A Science museum with an exhibit on electricity and lightning.

"Yeah," he nodded, finally meeting her eyes, "to the Metropolitan Museum of Art."

She couldn't help but find herself interested in the boy's eyes. They were an unusual sea green. Despite having nearly every one of her classes with him, she never took the time to actually look at him.

Curly, unkempt black locks sat upon his head, as dark and unruly as her own. His sharp nose resembled hers slightly; in a way one would have to squint to notice. Percy had a babyish face, one that reminded Thalia of her younger brother.

"Are you going?" She asked him, trying desperately to change her train of thought.

"Are you kidding? Of course! A chance to get out of this dump, who would pass that up?"

His smile was nice.

"Certainly not me." She flashed a smirk, and he laughed aloud. "I might go," she shrugged, looking to the window next to her, "I'm not exactly rolling in the dough right now."

He looked surprised.

"I hear ya."

* * *

She was sitting in her dorm, on the lowest bunk, flipping through the pages of her World History book, when she heard a stern knock on the door. She didn't have to ask who it was or peer out of the nonexistent peephole; only one person ever showed up. "Come in."

"Daughter," Zeus addressed her upon entering.

"Why go through the trouble of knocking when you can simply teleport or something? More dramatic this way?" She questioned dryly.

He brushed her comment off and fixed a calm gaze on her, "What of the boy?"

"I don't think he stole it, father." She yawned, closing her textbook. Her eyebrows furrowed together as she added, "He's pretty tall, too. Not as tall as me, but still remarkably tall for his age."

"From what I've heard, he has failed two times. The boy is fourteen. But that information is irrelevant." He paused for a moment, digging his hands into the pockets of his dress pants. "What reason do you have to doubt he is the thief?"

"I doubt he even knows he's a demigod. He seems like a harmless kid, really. He's friendly."

"It's always the least one you suspect." He reasoned, taking a seat next to her.

"Then it should be someone we know. Someone sneaking right under our noses. I do not believe he did it, regardless of whatever quarrel you may have had with Lord Poseidon. 'Sides, Poseidon is way too smart of a god to pull a lousy trick like that. Stealing another god's weapon? Immoral."

"Immortal, darling."

"There's a difference?"

"Very funny. I knew there had to be a reason your mother and I named you after the goddess of comedy. Now," he smiled a little, "how are you doing in your studies?"

She grumbled, "Biology sucks. Blah, blah, blah, magma, blah, blah, volcanic rock."

"That's Geology, love."

"It's all Greek to me." Despite her efforts not to, she snorted aloud at the ironic adage.

Her father gave a low chuckle and shook his head at his daughter's young sense of humor. "Speaking of Greek, how is yours? Have you been studying?"

She snickered. "Me, study?

"Good point," he sighed, "I'm not a fan of academics myself."

"Easy for you to say. You don't have to go to school. I, on the other hand, must."

"You're quite good at history, aren't you?" His dark eyebrows furrowed together. Her mother, even though she had been an 80's diva, had loved watching history documentaries, especially when they were about World War II.

"I'm okay. I'm good with dates and wars and stuff. Other than that, it's all foreign." She answered, a light blush rising on her cheeks.

It was silent for a few long moments, before one of them sounded again, "There's a field trip soon."

Zeus turned his questioning sky blue gaze on her, "Is that so?" At her nod, he continued, "Where to?"

"Some stupid museum. Percy is going, so I figured I might as well go."

"Do you need money?" He pried, his eyes flickering to hers.

"About forty dollars for the bus fee and lunch. I can probably scrape up some bucks on my own."

"There's no need for that. It's already paid for." He smiled, revealing a flawless seat of pearls.

"That's creepy. That's extremely creepy." She eyed him, an amused spark igniting in her azure hues. "You're a very creepy man."

"I can be," he agreed with a shrug of his strong shoulders. "There is a satyr here. He is called Grover Underwood."

Thalia felt her chest inflate at his words. Luke and Annabeth—they didn't know she survived. She swallowed thickly. What if she encountered Grover and he recognized her? Oh Gods, would she have to go to _camp_?

"This satyr wishes to lead Perseus to camp. You shall not allow this to happen. Do whatever you must, but do not let the Son of Poseidon out of your sight." His voice shook her from her thoughts.

"Father…Grover was the satyr that escorted Luke, Annabeth, and I to camp the first time."

Her swiftly took a hold of her chin and searched her eyes, which were identical to his own, for any sign of worry. "He will not be able to recognize you. Satyrs have awful memory. Besides, you've physically aged almost four years since they've seen you last. They would expect to see a seventeen year old."

"I guess you're right."

"I need to be going." He stated hesitantly.

"Yeah, I know." She turned away from him as he disappeared in a flash. That's the way their talks always were; brief and overall uneventful. At least he had attempted to take an interest in her life for once.

She lounged back on her pillows, taking comfort in her uncomfortable bed. She had fallen asleep on worse before. She was out like a light within the span of a few minutes.

* * *

Thalia never had a normal dream. This one was no different.

_ She was standing on a beach with the boy, Percy, and two magnificent animals—a white horse and a golden eagle—were fighting to the death at the edge of the surf. The eagle slashed at the horse's muzzle with its incredibly large talons, and the horse quickly retaliated with a kick to the creature's wings. The ground beneath them rumbled, and a deep distant chuckle could be heard from underneath. _

_ Percy charged forward, trying to stop the brawl. As the eagle dived down to claw at the horse's eyes, Thalia and the boy screamed simultaneously._

The Daughter of Zeus jolted up in her bed, sweat causing her curly bangs to stick to her hot forehead. Her outfit, consisting of a white v-neck shirt and a pair of navy jogging pants, were soaked and clung to her slim form.

As she regained her bearings, she let out a shaky breath. "Oh, mother of Zeus."


	3. Thalia Takes a Swim

**Okay, I've neglected to do so before, so here's the disclaimer:**

**I do not own the Percy Jackson series, nor have I ever. Unfortunately. **

**Oh, and I meant to make the prophecy age eighteen. If the age were sixteen, as it was in the original series, the prophecy would occur within this story. Just a heads up, Thalia isn't going to have a spear, either. I'm not a fan of spears. **

**All right, I'm done rambling. Enjoy, yeah? :D**

"Mind if we sit here?" Thalia turned to meet a pair of sea green eyes and had to stifle a laugh as she took in Percy's appearance. He had heavy bags beneath his eyes and a cowlick. She knew she probably didn't look any better. She didn't even bother to spike her hair.

"Go ahead." She answered, pressing her body against the wall of the bus to provide enough room for Percy and his friend to share the seat.

"Thanks, new buddy."

She only hummed in reply, too involved in her thoughts to formulate a proper response. She glanced ahead to the front of the bus to watch as other middle school delinquents piled on, some snickering at the three of them before continuing on to the back. One particular girl caught her attention. She was a sickly pale, shorter than Thalia and yet seemingly taller than the rest of her classmates, with orange freckles decorating a majority of her face. Thalia thought she looked more like a victim of a Cheetos factory explosion than a student.

The girl smiled stupidly, revealing crooked teeth that were butterscotch yellow. Thalia watched as Percy's jaw visibly tightened.

"Friend of yours?" She asked sarcastically, her eyes sparkling in amusement.

"Nancy Bobofit. I hate her. Trust me, you'll hate her soon, too. By the end of this field trip, I bet you."

The boy on the other side of Percy cleared his throat, "Um, I don't believe we've met."

Thalia leaned forward to take a good look at him and frowned. Of course. Of course it would be Grover. "Charona Lehane." She smiled, giving him her Grandmother's maiden name.

"Pretty name."

"Thanks. So, enlighten me. Why don't you just teach this Nancy girl a lesson?"

"Hah, if only. The headmaster threatened me with death by in-school suspension if I did anything bad on this trip. I'm on probation." Percy spat the words out bitterly.

The bus pulled out of the school parking lot and they were off to Manhattan.

Thalia sensed it coming before she heard it. Something was being thrown at them from some kid in the far back seat.

"Duck," Thalia ordered a split second before it hit its target. Luckily, Percy was wise enough to listen to her. Grover, on the other hand…

"Awh, man! It's in my hair!"

Percy picked it out, a look of disgust crossing his features as he did so. Bits of peanut butter and ketchup clung to the hairs on Grover's ears. Didn't satyrs have horns?

"Man, I got it!" Grover laughed nervously, picking out the rest of the sandwich chunk on his own.

"That's disgusting," Thalia commented, frowning at the sight.

"I'm going to kill her," Percy mumbled. Thalia was slightly angry as well, not because Grover was being assaulted, but because the girl had the nerve to do such an immature thing in the first place.

Grover attempted to calm the Son of Poseidon. "It's okay. I like peanut butter."

"That's it." Percy tried to stand when Grover was forced to dodge another piece of sandwich, but Thalia tugged him down by his forearm.

"You're on probation," Grover reminded him.

"She's ridiculous," Thalia spoke through a clenched jaw, unable to help feeling set off (after all, her father _was _the God of Justice). "But not worth getting in trouble over."

"Th—Charona is right." Grover stumbled over his words.

Thalia froze. Had he almost said her actual name? Did he know? "What did you almost call me?"

"O-oh, I…I uh…you remind me of an old friend. Her name was Thalia. You have similar features, is all. Sorry." Grover was blushing like an idiot.

"You've never mentioned a Thalia," Percy remarked, confusion lacing his voice. "Are you two close? Is she, like, your girlfriend?"

Thalia wanted to barf.

If it were possible, the satyr blushed even a brighter red. "N-no! I mean…pretty, but no! I—I just knew her."

"Uh-huh," Percy smirked in disbelief. "Sure, Grover. Whatever tickles your peach there, pal."

Thalia's butt ached, her toes were cramped to the inside of her combat boots, and the Nancy chick seemed to have enough disgusting food to feed all seven continents. All in all, Thalia was having an awful time. At least it was better than any of her previous school trips. No one was unconscious, lightning hadn't struck the bus' engine, and her face hadn't become best friends with the concrete. Yet, anyway.

She sighed in relief when she noticed they had finally pulled into the museum parking lot. If she had to hear about blue candy one more time, she was going to smother Percy with a sheet of metal.

As she predicted, Mr. Brunner led the museum tour. Thalia was always on edge when he was near, like she couldn't hide a single thing from him, even if she tried. He was a middle-aged man in a spiffy, motorized wheelchair. He had a sparsely haired comb over, with an unkempt beard, and he always wore a worn tweed jacket that reeked of coffee.

Thalia couldn't shake the feeling that she should know him from somewhere.

Brunner guided the horde of students through aisles of marble statues and glass cases full of ancient pottery and artifacts.

Thalia thought it all looked too old to still exist today. Despite being a fan of history, she didn't particularly find art interesting, or any other aspects of it.

Eventually, they found themselves surrounding a thirteen-foot-tall stone column, clad with a big sphinx on top, and Brunner explained how it was a stele for a young girl. Thalia couldn't help but find it fascinating, and the Son of Poseidon appeared to feel the same. He kept hushing the loud students around them.

Mr. B led them to a stele with a naked man on top of it and the redhead, Nancy Bobofit, snickered something under her breath. Percy's face reddened and he snarled, "Will you _shut up_?"

It was pretty loud. So loud that the entire class laughed like drunken morons and Mr. Brunner stopped telling his story.

"Mr. Jackson," he said, "did you have a comment?"

Percy was as red as a brick. "No, sir."

Mr. Brunner pointed to one of the pictures on the stele, "Perhaps you'll tell us what this picture represents?"

Thalia glanced at the picture and nearly had to squint to decipher it. It just looked so…_old_.

"That's Kronos eating his kids, right?"

"Yes," Mr. Brunner droned on, wearing a clearly unsatisfied expression, "and he did this because…"

"Well…" Percy's eyebrows furrowed together in thought. "Kronos was the king god, and—"

"God?" Brunner asked.

Thalia snorted, but coughed to disguise it when she got a few looks.

"Titan," the Son of Poseidon corrected. "And…he didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus," Thalia smiled at the mention of her father, "and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brother and sisters—"

A girl squealed behind him. "Ew!"

"—and so there was this big fight between the gods and the Titans, and the gods won."

Thalia, having horrible hearing, could just barely make out what Nancy mumbled, "Like we're gong to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids'."

Thalia rolled her eyes.

"And why, Mr. Jackson," Brunner said, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?"

"Busted," Grover muttered.

"Shut up," Nancy hissed, her face appearing even brighter red than her stringy hair.

Percy thought for a long moment before answering, "I don't know, sir."

Brunner, looking disappointed, continued to elaborate on the story of the first Titan War until it was time for lunch. Thalia lingered behind for a brief moment, taking note of Mr. Brunner calling Percy to the side, before she headed out of the museum with Grover. They found an empty place to sit on the museum stairs, along a fountain. The spot was perfect: it was sheltered, and far enough from the rest of Yancy's students.

Thalia thanked every god she knew that Grover didn't try to start small talk with her. She had only traveled with the satyr for a few months in the past, and his nervous behavior got under her skin sometimes.

Overhead, storm clouds plagued the previously sunny sky, an obvious sign of what was to come. _Someone's angry, _she frowned. Of course, thinking about the sky, led to thinking of her father. And thinking of her father, led to thinking of her mother.

Thalia never had the best relationship with her mother. Anyone with a brain could tell you that. Her mother and her clashed. Being a daughter of Zeus, she was born a natural leader. Her mother, on the other hand, was as irresponsible as they come. Thalia was the one putting food on the table and working a job, while her mother was acting like an immature teenager and getting drunk every night.

Part of her didn't blame her mother. She knew why she was the way she was. She was young, merely nineteen when she got pregnant with Thalia, and she wasn't ready for a child. She had just starting an acting career and it all went down the drain when Thalia was born. Zeus left her and she turned to alcohol. She was unstable. She had abandonment issues. Thalia could see why she turned to the easier solution of laying around all day and partying all night.

But that part of her was hidden beneath the layers of hatred and trust issues, all brought on by her mother's actions. The demigoddess sighed, rubbing her temples. She had to stop thinking of her.

She glanced to the doors of the museum. Percy still hadn't come out yet. What if he was in trouble? What if Brunner—

Her fears were soothed when the dark-haired boy exited the building, a gloomy look adorning his soft features. Grover, having been impatient, was finishing up the rest of his lunch as he asked, "Detention?"

"Nah," Percy shrugged, taking a seat next to Thalia. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean—I'm not a genius."

Thalia bit back a sarcastic remark. She wished she knew how to comfort the boy, but she hardly knew him and comforting was never something she was good at. She'd leave it to Grover.

"Can I have your apple?"

_Okay_, Thalia rolled her eyes. _There goes that plan._

"I have dyslexia and ADHD. It's not like I can memorize the names of the gods, and heroes, and Titans, and all that junk. He always pushes me so hard. More than anyone else." Percy complained, pouting.

"You ain't alone in that," Thalia remarked, attempting to flash him a reassuring smile. She probably looked more like a serial killer, though. "Dyslexia and ADHD, I mean. I have it, too."

Percy seemed to brighten. "You do?"

Grover had a suspicious look on his face.

"Yeah," Thalia nodded. "Kind of runs in my family."

Percy began to unwrap his sandwich, while Grover threw her a weird look. Before Thalia could look too much into it, though, a lunch had landed itself on Grover's lap, some of the chips finding their way in the crease of her leather pants and onto her vintage Rolling Stones t-shirt.

The trio glanced up to see a crooked grin, and Thalia's eyes darkened. Nancy cackled along with her friends, "Oops."

Thalia's mind went blank. Her veins ran cold. The air around them sped up, tousling her already messy black hair. "Watch where you're spillin' your shit."

"Oh?" Nancy laughed even harder, "What are you gonna do about it, dyke?"

The next few moments went by in a blur. One second, Thalia's fist was clenched at her side, the next it was planted in the redhead's jaw. The girl remained standing, and regarded the dark-haired girl with angry eyes. With a strong shove, Thalia tumbled backwards into the fountain. Thalia gasped as the ice cold water came into contact with her skin and mistakenly inhaled a lungful. She came up sputtering, coughing out the few coins she nearly swallowed. Nancy and her friends snickered.

She reached to get out of the fountain, and nearly jumped as the water leaped out, grabbed Nancy by her waist, and hauled her in. Thalia vaulted the side of the fountain, landing on the other side sloppily. Shaking the water from her short hair, she glared at the girl that was now sitting on her bottom in the fountain.

"Percy pushed me!"

Mrs. Dodds popped out of nowhere. Thalia heard the murmurings of the other kids.

"Did you see—"

"—the water—"

"—like it grabbed her—"

Thalia's mouth dropped. She looked like a fish out of water, which she found ironic because of what just happened to her.

Percy summoned the water to get Nancy, whether he realized it or not. She had a sliver of doubt before, but now there was no denying it. He _was _the Son of Poseidon.

"Are you two young ladies alright?" Dodds nearly cooed, handing each girl a towel that had somehow appeared in her hands. After checking on the two girls, she spun around to face Percy. "Now, honey—"

"I know," the boy grumbled. "A month erasing workbooks."

Thalia smirked. Was sarcasm a Big Three trait or something? _More like a teenager trait, _she amended.

"Come with me," Mrs. Dodds nearly barked.

"Wait!" Grover yelped. "It was me. _I _pushed her."

Last Thalia knew, satyrs were supposed to protect demigods from monsters, not a teacher—she froze. The dark eyes, the weird smell, the looks she'd throw at both Percy and Thalia. Mrs. Dodds really was a monster. She couldn't let Percy be led back in to museum. Not on his own.

The monster glared at Grover, "I don't think so, Mr. Underwood."

"But—"

"You—_will_—stay—here."

Grover flashed a desperate look.

"It's okay, man," Percy assured. "Thanks for trying."

"Honey," Mrs. Dodds rasped. "_Now._"

Nancy Bobofit snickered and Thalia turned to glare at the girl. When she turned back around to check on Percy, Mrs. Dodds was already standing at the top of the entrance. Percy slowly edged his way to her, pausing in the middle of the museum steps to glance back at his friends. Grover cut his eyes between Brunner and Percy, as if wishing the teacher would notice, but he seemed to be too involved in his novel.

What could Brunner possibly do to save Percy from a monster?

Thalia stood, preparing to chase after the boy.

"Don't," Grover warned, tugging her back down. "He'll be fine."

Thalia couldn't hold back her scoff. "You don't sound so sure."

"W-we should…let Ch—Mr. Brunner take care of it!" He stuttered, rushing to his feet. Without waiting for a response from the girl next to him, he sprinted over to the museum steps to inform said teacher.

Who was Ch? Thalia made a mental note to ask her Dad about it the next time she saw him. Absentmindedly, she stroked her silver bracelet, which turned into her shield Aegis when activated. It had been a gift from her father, delivered to her by Athena on her ninth birthday. That's when the monster attacks were the worst.

She had another weapon, kervnos pouli—Thunderbird—, that she had traded for her old spear. She hadn't wished to give up her spear, but her father suggested it. He said it was too bulky, and Grover would surely recognize it was her weapon. Which meant he would recognize _her _as the Daughter of Zeus.

Thunderbird, in mist form, was an old pocket watch. When a notch was pressed, however, it transformed into a three-foot-long sword. Celestial bronze, of course.

She reached into the inside of her jean jacket pocket to make sure it was still there. It was. Soaked, but still intact. She sighed and took a seat once again.

She felt so helpless. There was no way she could get around Brunner and Grover to get to Percy. Then it started to rain, as if Thalia couldn't get in a terrible enough mood. Normally, she could just wish the rain not to fall on her, but she was surrounded by a bunch of mortals. So she got even more soaked.

Rather than stick around the fountain, she rushed up the steps, finding even more shelter there next to the other students. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the museum doors swung open and Percy barged through.

Grover was right next to her. Brunner was at the door. Mrs. Dodds was nowhere to be found.

Nancy approached Percy, "I hope Mrs. Kerr whipped your butt."

_Who? _

"Who?" Percy voiced her thoughts.

"Our _teacher_. Duh!"

He asked Nancy what she was talking about, but she only rolled her eyes and turned away.

"Where's Mrs. Dodds?" Percy asked both Grover and Thalia.

"Who?" Grover questioned. But he hesitated. And Percy wasn't the only one who noticed.

The Mist. Of course. Sometimes Thalia could be too obtuse for her own good.

"Not funny man," Percy protested. "This is serious."

Thunder boomed overhead.

Percy left to see Mr. Brunner, probably to ask him the same.

Thalia pitied him. He looked so conflicted. The people around him—the boy he called a friend—were lying to him. He didn't know what to believe. Humans were fooled easily by the Mist. The less human you were, the easier it was to see through it. If Percy still didn't believe the things his peers were telling him, he was obviously a very strong demigod.

Thalia knew she couldn't wait any longer. He was already close to figuring out just what and who he was. She'd have to let him know before he discovered it on his own. She'd tell him tonight.


	4. Ugly Twists and Turns

**A/N: This chapter may anger some of you, so I apologize ahead of time. Oh, well. Can't please 'em all, right? Anyway, yeah. I finally decided to make it a Perlia. I, personally, fancy that pairing more than others. I don't know when an actual Perlia moment will occur, however, but I won't wait too long. Promise. **

** Disclaimer: Obviously, I don't own Percy Jackson. If I did, I would be rich. **

Thalia preferred Mrs. Dodds to Mrs. Kerr any day of the week. Kerr was too peppy, too ditzy. She'd rather hear nails on a chalkboard than hear the blonde speak. She sounded like she had an addiction to sucking the helium from balloons. And, just her luck, the _new _teacher decided to sit across from Percy, Grover, and her on the bus ride back to Yancy. So she had to withstand nearly an hour of '_Oh, my poodle is so adorable!' 'Back when I was in school, I was captain of the cheer squad!' 'Ooh, don't you just love chocolate?' 'You two would make such a cute couple!'_

Thalia didn't realize she had been ramming her head into the bus window until Percy shook her by the shoulder and flashed her a strange look. And, now she had a headache.

"Hey, you happen to have any ibuprofen?" Thalia nudged Percy with her shoulder. He opened his mouth to answer, but was cut off by a high, chirpy voice. And it wasn't Grover's.

"Ooh! I have some, sweetheart!" Kerr nearly purred, quickly fishing a bottle of over-the-counter pain reliever from her flashy, pink purse.

_Kill me now. _Thalia internally groaned. She took the medicine from the woman and gave her thanks before taking a sip of water from Percy's bottle and downing two pills. Closing her eyes and leaning back against the bus seat, she silently prayed her headache would fade soon. But when a few kids on the bus decided to burst out into a classic road trip song, she threw that thought out the window. Thalia didn't feel like she could stand any more of this.

"I'm going to sleep," she murmured to Percy. "Wake me up when we pull back in?"

The boy gave a simple nod, before turning to Grover and asking about Mrs. Dodds again. _Give it up, kid. _

Thalia wasn't sure when she drifted off to sleep, but shortly after she was being shaken awake. "Huh," she mumbled sleepily. "Go away. I'm tryna sleep."

It sounded more like '_Slow day, I'm shaving sheep'._

"Chaaaarooooona," Percy chuckled. "Wake up, we're here."

Thalia shot forward in her seat, scaring both of the boys beside her. "Huh, what?"

"You're drooling," Percy smirked, reaching out to wipe the drool from her chin with his shirtsleeve. Thalia knew she probably resembled a tomato right about now. That's why she preferred _not _to fall asleep in public. She drooled. And babbled. And, on days Morpheus _really_ wanted to embarrass her, she moaned.

She hoped to Zeus she didn't moan.

"I don't drool," she snapped sourly, jerking away from his hand and wiping the remainder off on her own.

_Nice going there, Sparky._

Percy rolled his eyes, "It isn't anything to be embarrassed about. I drool sometimes, too."

"I don't have any trouble believing _that_."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing." Thalia shrugged. "Oh, look! We're here. Wonderful." The sarcastic underlining to her statement didn't go unnoticed by her peers.

"Now, children," Mrs. Kerr stood in the aisle, addressing the teenagers as if they were vermin. "Mr. Brunner and I will lead you all off the bus and no pushing or shoving, alright?"

"Yes, Mrs. Kerr," came the collected response.

"Very good, now follow us."

Kids pushed and shoved their way off the bus, and none of them followed her. So much for listening to instructions.

After nearly half an hour, Thalia found herself back in her warm dormitory. Sighing, she removed her worn jean jacket and flung it onto her bed. Kicking off her boots, she plopped down on the bed unceremoniously. She looked forward to finishing that nap.

She was nearly out before she realized her clothes were still damp. Not only was she still wet, she smelled like funky water. Groaning, she stood back up and lumbered over to her small wardrobe. Deciding on a plain blue tee and a pair of black gym shorts (courtesy of Yancy's shitty physical education program), she quickly disrobed and tossed them on. She'd shower later.

She couldn't believe Nancy got her leather pants wet. No, no. That she could believe. What she couldn't believe is how she just lied back in the fountain after the girl pushed her. Thalia had never been one to not defend herself.

Then again, Percy sort of took care of Nancy for her. Well, she could only assume it was him. One, he was the Son of Poseidon, so it would make sense for him to be able to control water. She could control parts of her father's domain, after all. Two, he was the one who got punished.

Did Nancy know how uncomfortable it was to walk in wet leather pants?

The Daughter of Zeus ruffled her soaked hair in a futile attempt to make it seem less flat. She gave up. She was surprised hair gel even worked on her hair.

Her mother's hair had always been dainty, and fair, and it had fell in perfect curls around her flawless face. Thalia figured she looked more like an awkward, less manly version of her father. She didn't get her mother's stunning beauty, that much was obvious. She was a spitting image of Zeus. Of course, he was very attractive, but she thought his features fit awkwardly on her face. When her mother wasn't calling her names and treating her like garbage, she was rambling drunkenly and touching Thalia's face, claiming she was as handsome and strong as her father. That wasn't exactly what she had longed to hear at ten years old.

A knock sounded, and Thalia was jolted out of her thoughts. Actually bothering to walk over to the door, she opened it, and was shocked to find a familiar dark-haired boy on the other side. His hands were buried in his pockets, and his face was pale. The lights of the hallway were off, alerting Thalia of the time. It was already past curfew? What was Percy doing out after curfew?

"C-can I…talk to you?"

His voice was shaky.

"Uh…sure," Thalia nearly mumbled, stepping aside to allow him to enter. She waited until he was situated in her desk chair before she spoke again. "So, what's all this about? What's got ya so spooked?"

He paused, his eyes flickering up at her. She saw something in them—a spark—but of what emotion, she couldn't tell. "I know you're going to call me crazy. B-but, I have to know. I _have _to!"

"I'm not going to call you crazy, Jackson," Thalia assured, taking a seat on the bed across from him. "Now, spill."

"Mrs. Dodds…you remember her, don't you?" Before she could answer, he protested, "And don't you dare lie! Everyone here claims not to remember her—that she was never here at Yancy. But I—you can't fake an entire semester!"

"No," Thalia scowled. "You can't."

"So…is—was she real?"

"Look, there's something you should know. I probably should've told you before." Thalia met his eyes. "What do you know of Greek mythology?"

"Like the gods and stuff?" At her nod, he continued, "Well…we discussed it with Brunner a lot. I know some heroes and stuff. I don't know what any of this has to do with—"

"And do you know what these heroes were often called?" She questioned, ignoring whatever he had been beginning to say. She wasn't sure just how to go about this conversation with him, but she felt it was going fairly well so far. Boring, but well.

"Demigods. Right?" He looked to her for approval.

"Well, yeah," she cleared her throat. "Ya see…um, well. Demigods, or halfbloods, were born of the gods. Gods, you know, do the nasty with mortals and…make them." On second thought, this conversation just took a traumatizing turn.

He rolled his sea green eyes. "I don't need the _talk_, Char. Get to the point."

She narrowed her eyes, but obliged. "The gods—well, they're still around, Percy. And, you're—"

Before she could finish, her door swung open and an out-of-breath Grover barged in. "Percy!"

The boy in question leaped up in surprise. "Grover! W-what are you doing here?"

Thalia wanted to punch Grover in the face.

"I came looking for you, man! What are you doing out past curfew? You're already in enough trouble as it is!"

Thalia stood before Percy could answer. "Look, Grover. The boy was just havin' some trouble, is all. He just wanted to talk to me. Now, if you'll excuse me, we'd like to get back to that." She pointedly glanced to the door, silently inviting him to get the hell out.

He didn't seem to get that invitation.

"Look, _Charona._ I'm not just going to let Percy get in trouble again."

"What are you, his protector?" Thalia snorted. Some protector he was. Percy almost got slashed to bits today. And where was Grover? Tattle-telling to a handicapped teacher.

Grover glared. He was more brave than Thalia originally anticipated. He took his job seriously, it seemed. He wasn't going to let Percy out of his sight.

Well, she wasn't going to, either.

"C'mon, Perce. Let's get out of here." Grover suggested flatly, not taking his eyes off the dark-haired girl in front of him.

Percy sighed, but got to his feet. "Bye, Charona. We'll talk later."

Thalia's icy glare could make the Minotaur run home to his maze. "Yeah, see ya."

The boys left without another word.

* * *

A fist collided with the leather punching bag, sending it reeling into the air a little before it came swinging back towards the Daughter of Zeus. Her fist pounded the bag, again and again. She had been working out nearly all night, fighting off the exhaustion that had spread throughout her lithe body. She couldn't possibly get any sleep, not with this much on her mind. With every frightening thought that entered her brain, her blow was just a little bit rougher. Before long, she was hitting the bag as fast as she could, her knuckles now an ugly bright red.

She had snuck out of her dorm around one, and found herself in the boxing team's practice room. She often came here to work away her worries and feelings of anger. She had everything going according to plan, and Grover just had to come along and ruin it all. Figures.

She blamed herself. Maybe now wasn't the time to tell Percy. Maybe it was fate that Grover interrupted them.

_Oh, please._ Thalia internally frowned. _Fate, my ass._

"Stupid…fuckin'…satyr," she growled between punches.

"You called?"

Thalia spun around. "Um, hi Grover."

"Charona," he sneered. "Names aren't nice, you know."

So he had heard. Shit. She tried to keep both her voice and appearance impassive. What was she to do now? Gods, her father isn't going to be happy.

Mother of Zeus, did she _ever _get a break?

"What are you doing here?"

"Came to see you, of course," he shrugged, calmly taking a seat on a nearby bench. "You've got quite the swing."

"I repeat, what are you doing here?" She asked. She was getting…well, angry.

He only smiled back in response.

She picked up a towel from a nearby rack and wiped the sweat from her brow. She snatched up her water bottle and chugged the rest of it before finally turning to Grover. Part of her was embarrassed. She was sweating like a swine and she had gotten caught practically stalking Percy. She was sure the satyr already figured out who she was. The part of her that wasn't embarrassed was pissed. She couldn't help her temper, after all.

"Are you going to answer my question some time today, or you gonna wait 'til Christmas?"

"What do you want with Percy?"

"I don't want anything with him," she raised her voice, struggling to make her tone sound indifferent rather than offended.

"Yeah, I bet," he nodded sarcastically. "I know you're a demigod. That much is obvious. I mean, ADHD _and _dyslexia? That's awfully rare. Don't you think?"

He didn't wait for her to reply. "You see, what confuses me is why you show up here. Now, out of all the times you could have appeared. Which leads me to assuming you're here for Percy."

"You assume wrong," she snapped.

"And yet you know I'm a satyr."

"Slang for moron."

"Bull," he said, standing from the bench and slowly walking towards her.

"Don't come any closer, Underwood, or I swear I will castrate you with a compost fork," she snarled, flinging the towel across the room.

"Ooh, tough talk. Tell me, why should I fear you? You're some god's brat, but that doesn't mean anything. Chiron will be down here any minute now. He shouldn't have a problem taking care of you."

_Chiron? Like, the Chiron from the myths?_

"You really don't know who you're messing with. The best you can do right now is _get out_," she warned, looking wearily to the door behind him. Would the legendary centaur really be here soon?

"I can't do that," he argued. "I'm the satyr that has been assigned to Percy Jackson, and I do not intend to let some…_demigod upstart _get in the way of anything."

"What did you just call me?"

"Dee—me—gaaahd uuup—staaaa—rrr—ttt." She hadn't remembered Grover being so…well, _hateful_. She had remembered a shy, but polite friend. This Grover was nothing like the one she knew. She didn't understand why he was giving her so much trouble, or when he had finally decided to grow a pair.

"You sound retarded, first of all. Second of all, as pleasant as this little meeting has been, I gotta bounce. So, see ya around."

He attempted to stop her, but she shoved her way past him and quickly sprinted to her dorm.

So much for keeping Percy from camp.

She was in _so _much trouble.


	5. Things Go as Planned

Sorry for the wait, guys. I'll try not to take so long on the next chapter. Anyway, here it is, and I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I'm not paid for this, so no, I do not own Percy Jackson. **

The end of the semester came a lot faster than Thalia expected. Between her Latin midterm and her midterm for Chemistry, she hadn't had any time to study for her Geometry exam. Gods, she thought she was done with school after running away from home at age ten. But, nope. No such luck.

At least Grover had stopped stalking her like a cheetah waiting to pounce. Any time he would catch her talking with Percy, he'd interrupt their conversation and grab the Son of Poseidon's attention. Frankly, it was getting annoying. Fortunately for her, Grover had been called up to the office during their Latin midterm, so she could actually focus on the test, rather than the creepy satyr that would be eyeing her from across the room.

She sucked at taking tests. She needed all the luck she could get.

Her father had come by the visit the night before, and thinking about what they discussed had her up all night long. She told him about Grover and suggested they just throw in the towel. After all, if she didn't think Percy was guilty of stealing the lightning bolt, why bother with him anymore? But, her father wasn't having any of that.

_"No child of mine is a quitter, Thalia. You will do as instructed, and you will succeed."_

Some times her father forgot she was human. It was like he expected her to be a god or something. He pushed her harder than any one ever had. He didn't want her best. He wanted her to do _better_.

Brunner began to pass the test out. The thick white packet hit her desk with a loud _thump_ and she glanced up at the teacher in surprise. He was studying her, it seemed. He let out a barely audible grunt and continued passing out the evil packets.

"Hey," a soft voice whispered off to her left. She spun around to see Percy, flashing a nervous smile. "You ready for this test?"

"Hardly," she snorted in derision, slouching back in her chair. "I don't think anyone could be prepared for Brunner's test. The man's, like, a rocket scientist or something."

He gave her a weird look. "And here I thought he was a teacher. Damn."

"You're too young to be saying damn," she replied, absentmindedly.

"We're the same age, dude." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm almost sixteen," she confessed.

"Whoa, whoa. _What_? Are you serious? That certainly explains your height."

"Yeah, I failed a good number of times…and, I'm not _that _tall, you know."

"I thought I was the only one," he smiled. "I'm turning fifteen soon. I've failed a couple times." He waited a few moments before coughing out, "And, yes you are."

Thalia sighed. "Yeah, well, let's hope neither of us fail this test."

He chuckled. "Good luck, Charizard."

Thalia resisted the urge to punch him.

"Ditto, Jackson."

The test was horrible. She finished a few seconds before Jackson, making them the last ones done. Everyone else had already finished ten or so minutes before.

As the two demigods began to exit, Brunner called Percy back. Thalia hesitated, earning an exasperated expression from the teacher, before she exited the classroom. Pressing her ear up to the wall, she was able to make out part of the conversation.

"Percy," Mr. Brunner was saying. "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's…it's for the best."

His tone was nice enough, but if he were saying that to Thalia, she'd easily take it as an insult. She heard laughter, and remembered that most of the students had stayed back.

"Gods," she whispered, beginning to pity the boy.

"Okay, sir," Percy mumbled.

"I mean…this isn't the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."

Thalia clenched her fists. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. As weird and creepy as Brunner had seemed, he never seemed mean. At least, not to Percy. Percy appeared to be his favorite student. And here he was, embarrassing him in front of his class.

Even though she was just beginning to know him, she considered him a friend. She hated when people hurt her friends.

She frowned and nearly jumped out of her skin when Percy ran into her, causing her to lose her balance. She somehow managed to stay on her feet and met the boy's eyes. He seemed to find something he didn't like in her expression, and sighed.

"So…I'm guessing you heard Brunner."

"He's being unfair, you know. You weren't destined to get kicked out of here. It wasn't your fault, anyway," she said.

"Obviously, it was. Otherwise, they would've kicked someone else out," he replied moodily.

"You know, I was just trying to help. There's no reason to snap." _Don't get angry, Thalia._

"You can't help! You don't understand. You've probably never gotten kicked out of a school in your entire life."

Thalia refrained from laughing. "Me? Never get kicked out? I've gotten kicked out of every school I've ever attended. And I'll have you know, if given the chance, I would understand. The dyslexia, the ADHD, the weird occurrences."

Percy opened his mouth to respond, but paused when an idea seemed to hit him. "Weird occurrences? What do you mean?"

Thalia let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Come back to my dorm. I want you to tell me exactly what happened at the museum, and don't dare hold anything back."

He nodded. "I won't. Scout's honor."

She led him to her dorm, and once inside, she quickly slammed it shut and locked it. She didn't want Grover interrupting. He already had once before.

Thalia motioned for Percy to take a seat on her windowsill as she settled down in her desk chair. "Start," she instructed.

He took a deep breath. "Mrs. Dodds. She was…a bat-like monster. She attacked me and kept demanding to know where I had 'it', and to give 'it' back. I don't even know what she was talking about. No one else will listen to me when I mention it. They don't even remember her…do you?"

She hesitated before giving a slight nod. "Yeah. Do you know what she wanted from you?"

"No. I mean, I don't think I do. First, I thought she found out about the candy I've been selling from my dorm, but…then she said, 'We are not fools, Percy Jackson', and turned into a monster." He sighed. "I'm not crazy, am I? I'm not just imagining everything?"

"No, you aren't. She's a monster, Percy. Lucky for you, it's our job to fight monsters. It's a wonder you survived."

"Our?"

"There isn't much time to explain everything right now. Look, we have to get out of here. My family lives all the way in Boston, so that's out." Boston, right. The only family she had left was her father, and he didn't even treat her like his daughter.

His eyebrows furrowed. "Well…we can go to my house, I guess. But, I have to warn you. My stepfather isn't the friendliest."

Thalia quirked an eyebrow. "Wow, I didn't expect you to be so welcoming about it." She leaned towards him with a smirk. "I could be some kind of killer for all you know."

He held back a laugh. "I doubt I'd be alive right now if you were. And, besides...we're friends. And, you're the only one in this hellhole who's telling me the truth. That means something."

He wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I mean, we are friends. Right?"

She flashed a small grin. "Friends."

He blushed. "So, when do you want to leave?"

"As soon as possible. Tomorrow is our last day here, so it doesn't really matter if we skip out now. Meet me in the parking lot tonight. Have your stuff packed. Oh, and don't tell your friend."

"You mean Grover?" At her nod, he continued, "I won't. Don't worry. I'll see you tonight. And, Charona?"

She walked him to her door. "Yes?"

"Thanks," he smiled, and then he was gone.

For once, Thalia felt hopeful. Grover wouldn't get Percy to camp. She was going to be successful. She was going to make her father proud. Nothing could possibly go wrong. Not when things were going so well.


	6. Discoveries

I didn't take too long with this one. :P And, it's slightly longer than the last one was, so yay for me. Anyway, hopefully this chapter doesn't bore you to death. I feel like it's kind of bland. I decided to try something new, so this chapter is mostly from Percy's perspective. I like to mix it up every now and then.

** Disclaimer: I have never owned Percy Jackson. Don't rub it in. **

Percy Jackson glanced at his watch and groaned. It was nearly eight, and Charona still hadn't shown up. What if she was just messing with him? What if she was turning him in to the local loony bin? What if she—

"Hey!" Charona called, sprinting across the parking lot to where he stood. Percy let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry I'm late. Got caught up in the gym."

He smiled. "No worries."

She raised a brow. "You sure you didn't think I was bailin' on you?"

He swallowed. "Uh, nope. Psh, like I would think that."

"You did, didn't you?"

"Yup."

She shook her head, chuckling. "Let's get out of here. I called a taxi before I left my dorm."

"Is that it right up the road?"

"Looks that way," she gave a wry grin and Percy couldn't help but give a smile back. Her smile was…nice.

When they settled into the taxi, Percy began to take out his money but was surprised when Charona placed a hand on his arm to stop him. "I got this," she said, and handed the driver a twenty.

Percy told the driver his address, and they were heading out within seconds. Even though the drive wasn't really that long, he found himself growing bored. The girl across from him looked restless as well; her leg was bouncing up and down. Before he realized how creepy he was being, he glanced to her face.

Her hair was only slightly shorter than his but just as unruly. She had teased it that day, so most of the hair was tousled stylishly to the left. It was hard to pull off messy hair, but she seemed to do a good job of it.

Her eyes were a shocking blue. Even though blue eyes were fairly common, he'd never seen eyes quite that bright. They were a sapphire blue, shining more beautifully than his dull green hues.

He wondered what she did to end up in Yancy Academy. All the students there were troublesome kids, and he didn't think she looked like she belonged there. Was she just another spoiled rich kid?

When he first laid eyes on her, with her leather pants, leather jacket, and Sex Pistols shirt, he figured her to be nothing more than a pathetic bully. But she surprised him. She definitely seemed like a rough and violent person, but not once did she act like one. He smiled when he realized she was wearing that exact outfit now, only her jacket was sitting in her lap rather than resting on her shoulders.

"So," Charona began, almost nervously, her eyes finally meeting his. "What's this stepfather of yours like? Is he really that bad?"

"Oh, you don't know the half of it. He's disgusting. I'm going to apologize ahead of time for anything he may say or do to you. He doesn't exactly respect women. Or anyone, really. But, don't worry. We can just hang out in my room."

She nodded. "Sounds good." She looked to be troubled.

Percy furrowed his eyebrows. "What's wrong? Are you alright?"

She shrugged. "Yeah. I mean, I guess. Uh, listen. My coming over isn't too much of a burden, is it? I know I kind of sprung this all on you, but what we need to discuss is extremely important."

"What? No, it's no burden. Trust me." He smiled.

She grinned. "So, is there anything I should know about your place or family or whatever?" She had a wolfish grin, he noticed. On anyone else, it might have looked creepy. On Charona, it only looked intimidating.

"Gabe shouldn't bother you. Not with me around, anyway. He'll be too busy trying to squeeze money out of me. He might have his poker buddies over. Oh, and then there's my Mom," he got a happy twinkle in his eyes when he mentioned her. "She's awesome. You'll love her."

They were quiet for the rest of the way to Percy's apartment building.

Percy opened the door to his small apartment building and continued to hold it open until Charona stepped in behind him. A balding chubby man was sitting at a small table, with similar looking men surrounding him, and they appeared to be playing a game of poker.

"So, you're home," the chubby man said, talking around his cigar. "You're a day early."

"Where's my mom?" Percy asked, gritting his teeth. Charona stood behind him, unnoticed by the men in the room.

"Working," the man replied simply. He eventually looked up. "You got any cash?"

"I don't have any cash."

He raised a greasy eyebrow, finally noticing the girl. "Well, well. Who the hell is this?"

"None of your business," Percy snapped. His tone surprised the girl next to him. Percy didn't want Gabe talking to Charona. He would most likely make fun of how short her hair was, ask for her money, and then call her desperate for being Percy's friend.

Gabe narrowed his eyes. "Whatever. So, I figure you took a taxi from Yancy. Probably paid with a twenty. Got six, seven bucks in change." He flashed a nasty sneer. "Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

"Oh, come on, Gabe. Give the kid a break, he just got here," Eddie argued, eyeing the teens with sympathy.

"Am I _right_?" Gabe repeated, gritting his teeth.

Eddie looked down into his bowl of snacks without saying another word.

After a few more harsh words between Gabe and Percy, the boy angrily tossed some cash at him and grabbed Charona's hand, tugging her into his room.

Percy probably would've been blushing from the sudden contact if he weren't already red with anger. He quickly let go of her hand as soon as the door closed behind them.

"Um, so…what did you want to talk about?" Percy started anxiously, quickly tossing Gabe's car magazines from his bed. His stepfather was disgusting.

Charona sighed, as if she were about to break terrible news to him. "Alright, before I begin, you deserve to know who I am."

"Who you are?" He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"Well, who I _really _am. I wasn't supposed to let anyone know who I am, but it's the least I can tell you. I want you to be able to trust me. So, it seems only fair that I tell you the truth."

She took a deep breath before continuing, "My name is Thalia. I'm a demigod, like you."

"Thalia? Demigod?"

"Oh, that's right," she laughed nervously. "I never did get to explain that to you. See, you and I, we're only half human. One of our parents is a Greek god."

She waited, as he seemed to be processing this information. He couldn't help himself. He erupted into laughter. The thought of having a god for a parent was just so ridiculous. "Y-you're telling me," he said between laughs. "That I'm the son of a god?"

Thalia clenched her jaw. She should've known it wouldn't be this easy. "No shit, genius. You are. I am, too."

"Oh, yeah?" He laughed again. "Then, who is your _godly _parent?"

She took a calming breath before answering, "Zeus. God of the sky. King of Olympus, yada yada whatever.

"I think you let Brunner's Latin course get to your head a little bit."

"No!" She nearly shouted, taking a seat on his bed. "First of all, if I were speaking of Roman gods, I would've said Jupiter. And, second of all, I'm telling the truth!"

"Yeah, and I'm Abraham Lincoln," he snapped, angry at being lied to.

"Gods, Jackson. Can you just, like, _listen _for two seconds?" When he remained silent, she sighed. "What about Dodds? You think her turning into a monster was just your mind playing tricks on you? You don't think that what I'm telling you is plausible?"

"Well…"

She didn't let him continue. "She was what we demigods call a Fury, servant to Hades—"

"Kindly One."

"Pardon?" She furrowed her eyebrows.

"I said, she's a Kindly One," he mumbled. He shifted uncomfortably. She was looking at him like he was crazy.

"Uh…what?"

He rolled his eyes, and she realized how stupid she probably looked. "I…uh, overheard Brunner and Grover talking. They called her a Kindly One. They also said something about a Solstice deadline."

She froze. "Brunner is in on it?"

He eyed her strangely. "Yeah, I guess. He's the one who tossed me the sword I used to defeat the Kindly One or whatever. But after I killed it, or whatever, I was holding a pen."

At the mention of a weapon, she grinned. She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out an old, worn pocket watch. Percy raised his brow. "Tell you what, Jackson," she began, thumb hovering over the notch. "You want proof?"

He nodded. "I don't see how a watch can serve as proof."

She smirked and activated it. It stretched out into a three-foot-long sword, a leather grip winding itself around her hand. His eyes widened and he took a few steps back. "W-what the hell did you just do?"

He swore he peed his pants.

"It's my weapon. Kervnos pouli, as my father calls her."

"Thunderbird," he whispered, entranced. He gasped. "Whoa, how the hell did I understand that?"

"It's your native tongue, Jackson. You're born to understand it," she smiled. She sheathed her weapon back into a pocket watch and tucked it back into her jacket. This chick was a psycho.

"Native tongue? I don't think I have any Native American in me," he replied stupidly. He silently cursed himself when he realized he probably sounded like a major idiot.

Thalia rolled her eyes. "No, Einstein. Greek. _Our_ native language."

"Oh." He didn't know what to make of all of this. But something was bothering him. "Thalia?"

She smiled. "Yes?"

"Why did you lie about your identity?"

She thought carefully, before slowly wording her reason. "There's a lot of people, Percy, who would like to see me dead. Your friend—Grover, he thinks I've passed on. And I can only assume Brunner thinks so as well, whoever he is."

"Why would someone want to kill you?" he asked, frowning. Thalia seemed nice enough. Why would someone have something against her? Could he really trust her?

"It's not anything I've done. It's my father."

"Zeus?"

She nodded. "That's right. The uh, the Big Three—Zeus, Poseidon, Hades—they swore not to have any children after World War II broke out. That was our fault, you know. Children of Zeus and Poseidon against children of Hades. Nasty bit of business, that was."

He laughed. "Seriously? That's why World War II began?"

"Well…it's hard to explain. My point is, I'm not supposed to be alive. My Uncle, Hades, has already tried to kill me. Sent a bunch of monsters after me. Nearly got me, if it weren't for my father," she rambled on, grimacing.

"What did he do?" He took a seat across from her, leaning towards her. He was really getting into her story.

"It was clever, really. But I'll probably get a lot of teasing for it later. He formed a pine tree, right at the top of a hill. Made people think I got turned into it. But, I blacked out. Disappeared. I woke up in an abandoned airport. I found him there and he explained everything to me."

"So, what happened to you after that?"

"He got me a place in Brooklyn. I'm not a fan of the weather here, but it's a nice place," she commented with a shrug.

"And no one suspected anything with a sixteen year old girl living in an apartment alone?"

"Dad slowed my growth pattern. There's some big prophecy about when a child of the Big Three turns eighteen, and he didn't want it to happen so soon. I'm actually supposed to be about eighteen right now. I don't know how Dad did it, but he got the place in my name."

"Ah," he nodded, clearly still confused.

"I'm not here to talk about me, damn it. You got me off track. We have to talk about you right now," she said.

"Oh, uh okay. What do you need to tell me?"

"Grover, he isn't a bad guy. He wants to take you to a camp—a safe place for demigods. But he suspects that I want to hurt you or something."

"Grover? Is everyone in on this demigod thing except me?" He was quickly turning red.

Thalia hurried to reassure him. "Grover couldn't tell you. It's not his job to. He's just supposed to escort you to camp. He hasn't lied to you about who he is. He's your friend."

"I'm not so sure who my friends are these days," he muttered sourly.

Thalia sighed, frustrated. "We don't have much time. If any one asks, I'm Charona, all right? I never told you all this stuff. Just keep it to yourself until we can find out where to put you. We have to find somewhere safe."

Percy balled his hands into fists. "Somewhere safe? What about that stupid camp you keep mentioning?"

"You can't go there," she replied simply, looking away from him.

"Why not? I thought it was for demigods."

"I—you don't understand. You just _can't _go."

"I think we should go," he said, crossing his arms.

Before she could talk, a woman's voice sounded through the door. "Percy?"

Thalia jumped in surprise as a middle-aged woman opened the door and walked through. She was really pretty, with her light blue eyes and long brown hair. She smiled upon seeing Percy, and then smiled even wider at the sight of Thalia.

"Oh, Percy," she greeted, hugging her son. "I can't believe it. You've grown since Christmas!" She looked to the shocked girl. "Who's your friend, baby?"

"This is…uh…" Percy wasn't sure if he should introduce her as Charona or her real name. His mother could be trusted, couldn't she? Did she know about demigods?

"Thalia," the girl said with a smile, reaching out to shake the older woman's hand. The woman surprised her when she was suddenly wrapped up in a hug.

"It's very nice to meet you. I'm Sally," she introduced, smiling widely. "I'm Percy's mother."


	7. Percy Books a Vacation

**Only six days to get this one up! I think I'm getting a tad bit better. Anyway, thank you all for your wonderful reviews throughout the progression of this story. Every review means so much. **

**I hope you all enjoy this chapter. :D Feedback is always encouraged. **

Thalia liked Sally. She worked at some candy store, which was obvious because she was still wearing her Sweet on America uniform, so she smelled like the sweetest kinds of candy. Even though both Percy and his mother were very friendly, she couldn't help but feel like she was intruding on their family time, so she excused herself from the room.

"I'll be waiting outside, Percy. While you guys catch up," she said.

Percy looked up from his seat on the bed and smiled. "Okay." Sally gave a wave and she exited the apartment, thankfully avoiding any contact with Percy's repulsive stepfather.

Thalia was waiting outside for nearly an hour, when Percy finally came outside. "Oh, hey," she greeted. She put out her cigarette discretely, ashamed of the habit.

"Hi," he smiled in response. "We're going to Montauk."

She looked down and noticed the three suitcases he was struggling to carry. She rolled her eyes, taking two from him. "What brought this trip on? You and your ma going on vacation? Think you'll be safe there?"

He chuckled. "Of course. You're going with us, goof ball."

"What?" Thalia questioned dumbly, loading the suitcases into the trunk of the Camaro. She didn't want to crash their vacation.

"You don't think we'd be rude and leave you here, did you?" Sally asked, stepping outside of the building. "The more the merrier, I say."

"Look, this is more of a family thing, and—"

"Thalia," Percy sighed, taking her by the shoulders. "You're coming with. Deal with it."

"You sure your parents won't worry, darling?" Sally asked, concern flashing in her eyes.

"I'm sure," Thalia gave a shaky smile. "They usually just let me do my own thing."

Not even ten minutes later, they were all loaded up in the car, Sally in front and the teens in the back. Sally attempted to start small talk and get to know Thalia a little better. Thalia didn't want to have to lie to her. She was too nice of a lady. She was nothing like her mother had been. Percy was a lucky kid.

"How do you know Percy?" she had asked, peering back at them.

"We both went to Yancy. We shared several classes," Thalia said.

"Ah," Sally smiled. "So, truth. How much trouble does Percy _actually _get into?"

"Mom!"

She couldn't fight off the feeling that she shouldn't be going on this trip with them. She felt like something bad was going to happen.

Her Dad had told her to get the lightning bolt, and no matter how many times she told him, he still believed that the Son of Poseidon had it. He didn't. She knew for a fact that he didn't. But she still had to find it. Maybe she could find somewhere safe to keep him while she went off to find it on her own. Grover wouldn't be able to get Percy to camp, and her father would be able to get his master bolt back. A win-win situation.

Now all she had left to do was figure out how she was going to keep Percy safe until she could make everything right again. Her fingers fumbled around Aegis, and she glanced out the window cautiously. Her eyes caught sight of the water and she gasped, "Wow, is that Montauk?"

Percy grinned, "Yep. The very one. It's so beautiful. We used to come here all the time when I was younger."

"Percy loved it here," Sally commented, smiling in the rearview mirror. "I think you will, too."

A few hours passed by after they had cleaned the spider webs from the old cabin and unpacked all of their belongings. Percy suggested they all take a walk along the beach, but Sally made some lame excuse about staying to set the fireplace. So, he and Thalia wound up walking along the shore alone, feeding bits of blue tortilla chips to the seagulls.

_Hello, Lady, _they greeted upon seeing her. They thanked her as she fed them and she smiled, communicating with them through her mind. She briefly wondered if Percy could talk to animals of the sea like she could talk to animals of the sky. It would make sense.

"What's with all this blue food?"

_Well, I'm not one to look a gift bird in the mouth, master. But I think the boy has a thing for blue._Thalia grinned at the seagull's response, feeding it another piece of chip. Percy cleared his throat. "Gabe told mom that blue food didn't exist. Ever since then she's gone out of her way to make blue food. Plus, blue is kind of my favorite color."

_Told you, master. _

"Yeah, it's my favorite, too," Thalia said. She had a goofy smile on her face. She could definitely get used to being called master.

Percy chuckled. "I think they like you. They're all up on you."

"It's a Zeus thing," she shrugged.

He threw her a look. "That is still so hard to believe. You know, the whole god thing. It's like I'm not sure whether or not I should believe you. I think I'm crazy. Hell, maybe we're both crazy. You sure you're not just crazy?"

"Positive." She tilted her head to the side in thought. "Well, mostly positive."

He laughed, and glanced over at her. She smiled back in response, looking to the sand below their feet.

They walked the beach in silence, Thalia distancing herself from the water. Even if Poseidon didn't know of her existence, it would still be best to stay away from his domain. She wondered if Percy was happiest here. She didn't like being in the sky very much at all. Then again, that was mostly due to her fear of heights. But, when she was in the open, surrounded by her father's domain, she felt an odd sense of comfort. Like when she still lived with her mom and climbed up to their apartment roof to get away. Her comfort while up in the air wasn't strong enough to override her fear, though.

The smile on Percy's face was the biggest she'd ever seen from him. There must be something special about this place that made him so giddy. His parents must have met here. It'd make sense. Why wouldn't Poseidon be near a beach? It was his domain after all.

Hers met on an airplane. At least, that's what her mother had told her. Her mother had been on a flight to Memphis to visit a cousin when someone spilt a drink all over her and she was forced to head back into the bathroom. On the way to the back, she bumped into Zeus, clad in his trademark pinstripe suit. She didn't know much about either of her parents, but that was a story her mother had told religiously.

She supposed her father wasn't such a bad guy. She just wished he were actually _there_ for her. As a father, anyway. She got that he was busy and all but was it so much to ask that he send her a little sign every now and then? Just a little sign that he actually cared about her?

Did Poseidon care about Percy? She'd like to think he did. Percy was pretty cool. He deserved two loving parents. Why had a girl like Sally gotten with a douche like Gabe? Sally should be married to some hardworking, sweet, caring man. Not some fat loser. Sometimes the nicest people had the rottenest luck.

"So, what else can you do?" Percy kicked at the sand, laughing at the childish motion.

"What do you mean?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Like, as a daughter of—"

The demigoddess slapped a hand over his mouth and hissed, "Don't just say his name aloud. Names have power, you know. 'Sides, it's not exactly a good idea to say it around the sea."

He narrowed his hands and nipped at her fingers. She frowned, snatching her hand back. "Ow!" When he smirked haughtily, she glared. "Real mature. Just don't let anyone know about me, alright?"

"Yeah, whatever," he grumbled. "I don't see what the big deal is. You said his name out loud."

"Yeah, well, I wasn't thinking."

"Obviously."

"Didn't you have a question?" Thalia snapped, fed up with his banter.

He clucked his tongue annoyingly. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't."

She sighed. "I _so _don't have time for this."

"Then what are you doing here?" he snarled, all of a sudden angry. They faced each other, neither of them willing to back down.

"Pardon me?" Her blue eyes darkened.

"You heard me," he replied blankly, stepping closer to her. "If you aren't with Grover, and you don't want to take me to that safe camp, what do you want with me? How do I know you actually want to protect me?"

"What reason do I have to hurt you?" she challenged, stepping closer as well.

"I don't know. Maybe you're a monster, like Mrs. Dodds. Maybe you want the thing she was searching for."

They were nearly a breath apart. "I can't expect you to trust me."

"Yeah, no kidding," he snorted.

She closed her eyes in annoyance. "But until I give you a reason not to trust me, you don't really have a choice, do you?"

"I guess not," he answered, suddenly becoming nervous. His hands were growing clammy and sweaty. He hadn't realized how close he was standing to the Daughter of Zeus.

"Glad that's settled then," she breathed out.

"Percy! Thalia!"

At the sound of Sally's call, the teens sprung away from each other. Thalia laughed nervously, running a hand through her cropped hair. "I guess that's our cue to go back."

When they got back to the cabin, it was already dark and Sally had a small campfire going. The older woman smiled as they approached. "Hey, what have you two been up to?"

Percy fought off a blush as he smiled sheepishly. "Nothing much, mom. Just…uh, walking the beach."

"That sounds nice," Sally said with a smile.

Thalia never thought it was possible to have fun around an adult. Every adult she had ever encountered had been boring, stuffy, and strict. Sally, however, was nothing like that. She was actually kind; her upbeat attitude wasn't some kind of veneer. She had welcomed Thalia, a complete stranger, with open arms. Needless to say, it amazed her every time Sally joked and laughed and seemed to be generally having a good time. Her mother never liked to go on trips or vacations. The last time her mother had willingly planned a trip…

She shivered. Jason. _Her _Jason. No matter how hard she tried, even after seven years, she still couldn't stop thinking about her lost little brother. She refused to believe he was truly dead. She would have felt it if he were. At least, she'd like to think she would. Truth was, she didn't know what happened to him. She swore as a young child that she would find her brother, and she still had the intention to do so. Once this whole lightning bolt business was through, she would search for him. And she _would _find him.

Sally rambled on about her family, and her childhood, and this and that. She talked about her dreams and how she wanted to be an author someday. Eventually, the conversation found its way towards Thalia. "So, Thalia," Sally began, flashing yet another warm smile. "What are your parents like?"

The girl in question swallowed thickly, slowly meeting the older woman's eyes. "My father isn't around much. He, uh, works a lot." She shifted uncomfortably when Sally fixed a sympathetic gaze on her.

She wasn't going to mention her mother. No way.

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear," Sally frowned, reaching over to pat the young girl's knee. The woman must have seen how talking about her parents affected Thalia. She silently cursed herself. While she could fake an emotion just fine, her eyes always betrayed her and reflected the emotion she was actually feeling. She couldn't fool anyone.

Thalia shrugged. "It's cool. I don't really mind having a busy dad."

"Mom?" Percy wearily glanced to his mother.

"Yes, baby?"

"What was Dad like?"

The sea became more turbulent. Sally's features visibly lowered, her voice becoming sad and wistful. "He was kind, Percy," she said. "Tall, handsome, and powerful. But gentle, too. You have his black hair, you know, and his green eyes."

Thalia glanced to Percy, who looked like he was feeling a mixture of pride and of shame. He truly had no idea how special he was. Sally fished a blue jellybean out of her candy bag. "I wish he could see you, Percy. He would be so proud."

Percy met Thalia's eyes as if wanting her to second the claim. She smiled and gave a nod, even though she had never met Poseidon. What father wouldn't be proud of a boy like Percy? He was sweet and good-natured. And, dare she say it? Good-looking.

He _was _a child of the Big Three, after all. It's not like he could be very ugly.

She shook off those thoughts and paid attention to the conversation at hand. Percy asked more questions about his father in between bites of his taffy. Then, the conversation took an interesting turn.

"My father wanted me to go to a special school?" Percy asked, shooting the daughter of Zeus a look.

"Not a school. A summer camp."

Thalia sighed and stood up. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm getting a little tired. I'm gonna go on to bed."

Percy furrowed his brow in confusion and Sally smiled. "Alright, darling. We'll be in soon, too."

As expected, she had a nightmare that night.

_ Thalia sat facing the ocean, her back to the cabin. A storm raged above her, but no rain struck her skin. The ground rumbled and a raspy voice sounded from below her, "Come to me, child. Help me rise, daughter of Zeus."_

_ The tide swept Thalia off her feet and she was dragged into the ocean with a startled yelp. She fought against the water, struggling to stay above the surface, to no avail. She was pulled even deeper into the sea, schools of fish swirling past her. A deep voice sounded, this one sounding very different from the one she heard before. "Fight, my Thalia. Use the air around you."_

_ She recognized it as her father's. With newfound strength, she concentrated on the small amount of air in the water and used it to propel herself upwards. She broke the surface smoothly and inhaled all of the precious oxygen available to her fragile lungs. _

_ Well, that was certainly a new power. _

_ Before she had time to throw a celebration party, hundreds of oceanids surrounded her, bearing sinister grins on their beautiful faces. "Thalia," they chanted simultaneously. "They know. They know. They know."_

_ "You can no longer hide," one laughed. _

_ "They will find you. They will always find you," another added in menacingly. _

_Before she could escape the water the nymphs closed in on her, effectively trapping her. She didn't even get the chance to scream before they placed hands all over her and tugged her into the sea once again. _

Thalia woke with a start. Usually, she would be worrying about how disheveled her hair was, or the annoying wedgie she had, or the fact that Percy was snoring louder than a lion roars, but her dream still lingered in her head.

There was only one thing that dream could've meant, if it meant anything at all. Someone knew who she was. And that someone was most likely Poseidon.


	8. A Rookie Mistake

**Well, here it is. I apologize for the wait. I know it probably feels like I took forever. :P I'll try and get the next one up within this week. ****Honest. Cross my heart and hope to—nah, I don't want to die.**** Oh, well. Guess you'll just have to take my word for it. ****Thanks for reading and all of your reviews. R&R? No? Oh okay, I guess you don't have to. But if you want to, you know what to do. Shut off your computer and never read this load of crap again! Wait, no. That's not what you do. You write in the new review box-thingy. Silly me.**

** Disclaimer: I STILL do not own Percy Jackson. I'll let you know if that changes. Which it won't.**

"I hate storms," Percy grumbled, wrapping a blanket around himself. Thalia looked over at him and smirked, finding humor in his obvious distaste for something she cherished.

"I've always loved 'em," she commented, shrugging. "It may sound weird, but I hate them at the same time. Remind me too much of my father." They sat huddled around the fireplace. Sally lay on one of the cots, snoring soundly. They had both woken up from their nightmares and hadn't been able to go back to sleep.

"That does sound weird," he admitted, laughing.

She shivered, running her hands up and down her arms. Even though Thalia loved storms, she wasn't immune to the cold they brought on. Percy gave a lopsided smile before wrapping some of his blanket around her and pulling her in close. The daughter of Zeus blushed, lightly shoving Percy.

"Don't have to pull me so close, you know," she complained.

"Hey!" He frowned. "I was just trying to get you warm."

She was about to argue, but decided against it. He sounded sincere, and it wasn't like he was trying to grope her or anything. "Thanks," she said.

He gave a toothy grin, sliding up close to her once again. They sat in silence for a while, staring blankly at the fire, before Percy spoke. "You never answered me, you know."

"About the things I can do?" she asked, thinking he was referring to their conversation earlier on in the night.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Like…I don't know. Do you have any abilities?"

He probably thought he sounded stupid. He looked ashamed, not willing to meet her eyes.

"Weather. Storms. Air. Anything to do with the sky, really. I can manipulate it, but it takes a lot of my strength. I'm usually worn out afterwards."

"Whoa, that's wicked cool," he gasped. "Ooh! Can you fly?"

"Uh," she began, unable to help her nervousness. "I-I've never really tried. But, I think maybe I might be able to."

"You should try it now! Come on," he made a move to get off the floor and she tugged him roughly back down.

"You're insane," she spat. "It's storming outside. It's not safe for you to go out there. And, I haven't tried for a reason." _Thalia Grace, Daughter of Zeus, afraid of freaking heights. _She was a disgrace to her father's name.

"Why not?" he asked with a frown.

"I'm just not all that comfortable with the idea," she said.

"Oh," he muttered, obviously disappointed. She realized he probably needed more proof of the whole demigod thing. It was, after all, a lot to take in. Making up her mind, she slid out from under the comfort of the blanket and stood, a determined look crossing her features.

"Thalia, what are you doing?" the dark-haired boy asked, smiling up at her in confusion.

Now was good as a time as any to try out the newfound powers she had used in her dream. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the air around her. She thought about it winding and rushing and circling her. When she opened her eyes, she groaned. Nothing had happened. "Why isn't it working?" she asked herself, pouting.

"Maybe you haven't practiced enough," Percy suggested. He didn't know what she was trying to do, but even a monkey could tell it wasn't working out the way she intended it to.

_You must start out small, master. Not every bird gets it in one try._

Thalia jerked her gaze to the window in surprise. A pair of beady black eyes blinked back at her and she gave a slow smile. _Cherub's the name, Lady. Pleased to finally meet the daughter of the skies. _

Thalia closed her eyes once again. She could do this. She could _do _this. The brunette nearly fell to her knees as a sharp pain assaulted her stomach. The air began to shift around her and the tug in her abdomen increased.

"Thalia, stop!" Percy called to her, pulling her down to the ground. She swore she broke her assbone. Her eyes fluttered open immediately and the tug in her stomach stopped all together.

"You blew out the fire," Percy explained with a chuckle. She turned, and sure enough, there was no fire going. That's all she was able to do? That was disappointing. It was a start, at least.

She blushed and smiled sheepishly. "Oops."

"We'll just reset the fire. Might take a while, though." He shrugged, reaching for a lighter.

"Wait," she said, effectively stopping his movement. "Why don't you let me take care of that?"

Percy gulped, not liking the devious smile he spotted on her face. "Uh, okay."

Lightning. This was what she was good at. It came so naturally to her now, she didn't even feel the tug in her stomach when she outstretched a hand. She heard Percy gasp as sparks flittered from her palm, sailing off her fingertips only to strike the logs. Within seconds, a fire was once again blazing.

"Wow," he murmured, looking on in amazement. "That air thing was pretty cool, but damn. That lightning thing you did _totally _stomps putting the fire out."

She smirked in satisfaction. "That was the first time I've ever manipulated air. Well, that's not true. I was told I did some little tricks with air when I was a baby, but I don't actually remember any of them."

"I gotta say, I doubted it before. But there is no way you can make a gust of air blow out a fire and then light it again by shocking the wood with your fingertips without being a child of freakin' Zeus." He laughed. "God, this is all so real now. I'm the son of a god. Me."

"I know. It's a lot to take in." She smiled.

"Understatement of the year," he said. "How did you take the news?"

"Well," she ran her tongue over her teeth. "I've always known. My Dad was around for a little time, on and off, until I was three. Then he showed up again on my seventh birthday. His visits didn't last for long, though. They never did."

He glared at the fire. "You actually know your Dad? He was there for you?"

Thalia noticed the obvious change in his demeanor. "Being there and being there _for me _are two extremely different things. He was there for my loony of my mother."

"At least you've met him before!" Percy reddened. "My Mom says my Dad left before I was born. He left both of us. Now my Mom is stuck with Smelly Gabe for the rest of her life, and there's not a damn thing my _father _is doing about it."

"He was only looking out for you," she reasoned, silently wondering why she was even arguing with him about this. "If he had stayed—if you had always known who you were—believe me, you would not be alive right now."

"You mean because of the monsters?" he asked, having calmed down from his fit.

She nodded, clenching her jaw. For some reason, she felt comfortable around him. _Too _comfortable. She was already telling him things she wouldn't normally tell anyone, and she couldn't bring herself to stop.

"Did they…get you?"

"Yeah," she quirked a grin. "You could say that."

Before either of them could speak again, thunder boomed from outside of the cabin. While Thalia remained perfectly calm, Percy fell backwards and Sally jolted awake.

"Hurricane," she warned, crawling out of bed.

"_Hurricane_?" Thalia shrieked, standing to her feet and quickly pulling Percy off the floor. A yell sounded from outside along with the stomping of hooves. Thalia froze, her blue eyes wide. Grover Underwood. A satyr and a hurricane. This was fucking great.

Before she could stop him, Percy rushed to the door and threw it open, gasping at the sight before him. Grover was dripping wet, hooves and all, breathless at the doorstep. Thalia backed over towards Sally's cot and the woman wrapped a soothing arm around her, assuming the girl was afraid of the storm.

"Searching all night," Grover coughed out. "What were you thinking?"

Sally let go of Thalia quickly, all but running to the door. She flashed Percy a terrified look and attempted to shout over the pounding of the rain, "Percy! What happened at school? What didn't you tell me?"

Percy paled and stared blankly at Grover. "_O Zeu kai alloi theoi,_" the satyr yelled. "It's right behind me! Didn't you tell her?"

Before Sally could say anything to Percy, the satyr's eyes flickered over to the dark-haired demigoddess standing near the cots. "You!" he exclaimed wildly, pointing a finger at her. "What have you done? Have you led this beast here?"

"What?" she questioned dumbly, stepping closer Percy and his mother. "What beast is here?"

He sneered. "Not so fast, you—"

Sally grabbed her purse, tossed the two teens rain jackets and said, "We don't have time for this. Get to the car. All of you. _Go!_"

Thalia didn't waste any time. She knew Percy was a horrid runner, so she swiftly laced their hands and sprinted to the Camaro. Grover was a good distance in front of them.

Percy looked like he was about to pass out; sea green eyes focused on his friend's lower half. "H-hooves. Grover has freaking hooves."

The demigoddess hurried him along, throwing open the door of the muscle car for him. He stumbled inside and she followed in behind him, so Grover was forced to sit up front in the passenger seat. He didn't look too happy about that.

Thalia looked around cautiously, searching behind her and around the outside of the car for any sign of a monster. She didn't seen any but she felt a rough shiver up her spine that stopped her from being at ease.

Sally climbed into the drivers seat and started the car up before speeding off down a dark country road. Percy cleared his throat, glancing down to his hand, blushing when he realized it was still locked with Thalia's. The noise caught her attention and she glanced down, turning red as well before releasing his hand.

"So, you and my mom…know each other?"

"Not exactly," Grover replied, glancing back at them. "We've never met in person, but she knows I've been watching you."

"Watching me?" Percy furrowed his eyebrows, a look Thalia thought was kind of cute on him…she blushed, turning to look out the window.

"Yeah," his friend nodded. "But that's not important. What is," he pointed to Thalia, "_she _doing here?"

Thalia looked away from the window, hearing herself mentioned, and Percy scowled at Grover. "_She _is my friend. So I kindly invited her to go on vacation with us."

"Grover," Sally addressed, turning onto another dusty road. "She's a sweet girl. She means him no harm. Leave them alone."

He grumbled, turning back to face the front. Thalia let out a breath. Sally was a lifesaver. "So," Percy started up again, clearly bored. "What _are _you exactly?"

"That doesn't matter right now," Grover replied, slightly irritated.

"It doesn't matter? From the waist down, my friend is a donkey—"

Grover bleated, a sharp throaty sound that made Thalia visibly cringe. Percy didn't seem too fazed. He had clearly heard the sound before, but he looked to be coming to a realization.

"Goat!" the satyr cried.

"What?"

"I'm a _goat _from the waist down."

"You said it didn't matter."

"_Blaa-ha-ha! _There are satyrs who would trample you underhoof for such an insult!"

"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like…Brunner's myths?" the Son of Poseidon asked, glancing to the girl across from him. She gave a small smile, realizing he now completely trusted her.

"Was Mrs. Dodds a myth?" Grover challenged, again looking back.

"So you _admit_ there was a Mrs. Dodds!"

"Of course."

"Then why—"

"It doesn't matter," he claimed once again. Percy was clearly getting angry. Thalia could tell he didn't like being out of the loop. A loud bellowing noise sounded and the Daughter of Zeus gasped, instantly familiar with the sound.

She had heard it from some monster while on the run. But which monster would make a noise like that? She realized she didn't know where on earth Sally was taking them. She had assumed she was heading home, but they had drove off in the opposite direction. Where could she be headed?

Before she could ask, Sally stated, "Percy, there's too much to explain and not enough time. We need to get you to safety."

Safety? Where would be a safe place for Percy besides…her eyes widened. Sally was taking them to _camp_? "Safety from what? Who's after me?"

Sally ignored his question. "Grover, can you get a mortal past the border?" she asked, gesturing to Thalia. He paused, studying the girl intently.

Eventually, he nodded. "I should be able to. If she can see through the Mist. I'll have to have Mr. D grant her access, though."

The older woman nodded, briefly turning to address Thalia. "Honey, no matter what happens, just try and stay out of the way, alright? We'll keep you safe."

Not wanting to argue that she was perfectly capable of handling herself, she nodded. Sally made a hard left and Thalia went crashing in to Percy. "Sorry," she mumbled, pulling herself off of him. She knew she couldn't go to camp. If Grover hadn't recognized her, Annabeth and Luke certainly would. Add on the fact that Sally thinks she's a mortal, and things were looking even grimmer for her.

"Where are we going?" Percy asked.

"The summer camp I told you about." Mrs. Jackson's voice was rough and stern. She was trying not to show how spooked she was.

"The place you didn't want me to go." The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow.

Sally pulled the door hard to the right, sending Percy's head flying into Thalia's lap. He didn't apologize. He didn't move. Confused, Thalia looked out the window. She instantly regretted her decision. Her eyes caught sight of a dark fluttering shape, which was quickly masked by the storm.

"What was that?" he asked, gripping Thalia's leg tightly. When she winced, he pulled back and apologized, taking his head off her lap but scooting closer to her.

"We're almost there," Sally claimed. "Another mile. Please. Please. Please."

Percy leaned forward in anticipation, taking a hold of Thalia's hand once again. She didn't argue or pull away. She understood how scary this must be for him. She interlocked their fingers, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

The hair rose on the back of Thalia's neck, but it was too late for her to warn them. There was a blinding flash as lightning struck the Camaro and it went flying off into a ditch. The two teens crashed into the seats in front of them and the demigoddess let out a painful groan.

"Ow," Percy said, pulling away from the headrest.

"Percy! Thalia!" Sally nearly shrieked. Grover didn't seem to catch that Sally called her Thalia. He was too busy being passed out.

"We're okay…" Thalia said, weakly. She felt dizzy. Flicking her tongue over her bottom lip, she winced. She had a huge slice in her lip and blood was flowing rapidly from the cut. She was so shocked, that it took her a while to notice the substance that covered most of her skin. Water. Furrowing her eyebrows in confusion, she looked up to see the roof cracked open.

She smirked. If she were lucky, the storm would grant her strength rather than slow her down. Instantly, she felt renewed. The cut on her lip stopped bleeding and closed up, leaving behind an ugly scar. Her vision was sharper. She felt stronger.

_Thank you, father, _she thought wryly.

Percy gasped, reaching across the car's console to shake Grover. "Grover!"

The satyr was in bad shape. Blood trickled out of his mouth and he didn't appear to be breathing. But then he moaned, "Food."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Percy," Sally said, "we have to…" Her voice faltered.

The Daughter of Zeus looked back. In a flash of lightning, her bright eyes made out the figure of the monster that had been chasing them. His body was fuzzy and bulky, and he lumbered towards them like a hefty bull. Instantly, it hit her. The horns on his head reaffirmed her suspicions.

The fucking _Minotaur_ was after them.

Percy swallowed thickly. "Who is—"

"Percy, Thalia," his mother responded, cutting off his statement. "Get out of the car." Before either of the said teens could argue, Sally threw herself against the driver side door. It wouldn't budge. Percy tried doing the same to his side, to no avail.

Thalia looked to the roof of the car again. It was sizzling, but that wouldn't prevent her from escaping. She had a high resistance to heat, with the whole summoning-lightning thing. Sally, Percy, and Grover on the other hand, wouldn't be able to make it out that way.

"Climb out the passenger side!" his mother ordered. "Percy—you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"

Oh, gods. Not the pine. Thalia _hated _hearing about her freaking tree.

"_What_?"

"That's the property line," she explained. "Get over that hill and you'll see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and don't look back. Yell for help. Don't stop until you reach the door."

"What about her?" Percy asked, gesturing to Thalia.

"Follow him, Thalia," she instructed. "You're both going to be fine. Now, go!"

"Mom," Percy started defiantly. "You're coming, too."

The woman paled and looked towards the ocean. "No!" the boy shouted. "You _are _coming with us. Help us get Grover out."

"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.

The Minotaur kept charging towards them, grunting and snorting. Percy's eyes slowly widened as he glanced back at the thing. "He doesn't want us," Sally claimed. "He wants you. And I won't let a young girl get hurt, either. Besides, I can't cross the property line."

"But…"

"We don't have time, Percy. Go. Please."

Thalia was angry. She was angry with Grover for passing out and neglecting his duties as protector (even though she had effectively kept him away from his target). She was angry at the ugly monster that was chasing them and shaking up Percy and his mother. She was angry with her father, for creating this horrible storm in the first place. But most of all, she was angry with herself for not getting out of the car and slaying the beast herself.

She wasn't supposed to save Percy. But that wasn't going to stop her from doing it.

Thalia threw open her door and climbed out, pulling out Thunderbird and activating it. "You guys coming or what?"

"We're going together," Percy said, nodding. "Come on, Mom."

Sally stared wide-eyed at the sword in Thalia's hand, but didn't question it. "I told you—"

"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover," her son said, making a move to get out of the car. Thalia threw open the satyr's door and dragged him out. To her surprise, he was fairly easy to lift. She didn't feel like she could hold him for long, though.

She handed Grover over to Percy and his mother and frowned. "Percy, you get your mother and Grover over the border. I'll hold this guy off."

"What? No! I can't let you do that," he shook his head, reaching towards her. She swatted his hand away and walked around the back of the car, trudging up the ditch.

"Get going, kid," she shouted over the storm. "Trust me, I can hold my own."

Percy didn't look happy about it, but both he and his mother supported the fallen satyr and started uphill. He kept looking back every few seconds to check on his friend, to see her meeting the monster head on.

"His hearing and vision are horrible," she called over the rain. "But he can smell you. Make your way up slowly and carefully."

The monster stumbled their way, but Thalia cut him off quickly. Percy would probably be impressed by her speed if he weren't about to pee his shorts. Despite the fact that the Daughter of Zeus was standing right in front of the beast, it didn't seem to notice her. It stomped over to the car and sniffed around, trying to pick up their scent.

Thalia watched as it bellowed in rage, picking up the Camaro by the roof. He raised the car in the air and threw it in her direction. Being quick on her feet, she dived to the left, but it wasn't enough to protect her from the damage. The gas tank exploded and while the fire didn't quite reach her, the smoke certainly did. She coughed, unintentionally catching the Minotaur's attention.

"Damn," she mumbled. She couldn't see for shit but the monster could pinpoint exactly where she was. She was definitely at the disadvantage here. It charged towards her and she hurried to her feet.

"What is she doing?" Sally yelled, letting go of Grover and making her way downhill. Percy grabbed her arm, effectively stopping her.

"She knows what she's doing, Mom. She's a demigod, too. Come on, we don't have time to stop," he reasoned, pulling her further uphill.

She knew what she was doing? _Yeah, right. _She sprinted away from the rest of them, trying to deter the Minotaur from Percy. It followed her, as she expected it to. It was easily catching up to her. There was no way she could beat it with it charging at her so fast.

She spun around to face it. She would have to at least try. She held her sword up before activating Aegis. The shield spiraled open, the head of Medusa failing to falter the monster's movement.

"Thalia!" Sally called. "Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way—directly sideways. He can't change directions very well while he's charging."

She nodded and waited. When the bull was only five feet from her, she did as Sally instructed. The Minotaur charged right past her and stopped when he was nearly thirty feet away. He was sure to turn around and charge her again. He spun around and eyed her menacingly, his horns glinting in the flash of lightning.

He made to charge again, but a sudden yell stopped him. "Hey! Ground beef! Get away from her. It's me you want!"

Percy Jackson was an idiot. A stupid, brave idiot.

Thalia tried yelling, jumping, slicing at the monster, but it was no use. The Minotaur lumbered up the hill, after Percy. She sprinted up after the monster, but even her speed was no match for it. It was ten feet from Percy when the boy attempted to jump to the side. But the monster had caught on to the trick. He reached out and wrapped his meaty hand around the boy, snatching him into the air.

"Let me go!" he yelled. He kicked but the monster wouldn't let up. He yelled even louder when the beast caught a hold of his mother and hefted her into the air as well.

"Hey, beef breath!" Thalia taunted, finally catching up. It swiveled its head and snorted loudly. "Remember me?"

Its thundering growl sufficed as a yes. Thalia vaulted in the air and lodged her sword in the hand that had captured Percy. The monster roared, dropping the teen onto the ground. Her sword had nearly cut through its entire hand.

Thalia wrinkled her nose in disgust, withdrawing her sword and leaping to the ground. It looked so gross.

Using the storm around her, she summoned lightning to strike the beast square in the chest, sending it staggering backwards. It hadn't let go of Sally, as she thought it would. The Minotaur tightened its grip around the woman, and before her very eyes, she dissolved into the light.

"No!" Percy screamed. Thalia tore her eyes from the monster to check on Percy and Grover. It was a rookie mistake. One she shouldn't have made. The Minotaur grabbed a hold of her, suspending her high in the air. She resisted the urge to look down. She knew she would probably pass out.

"Thalia!" Percy cried fearfully, getting to his feet. Her sword dropped to the ground in front of his feet and he picked it up. His face was contorted in anger and Thalia was surprised the Minotaur didn't run in fear.

Her eyes burned as the monster tightened its grip and she bit her lip to stop from crying out. She felt her ribs give out under his grip and her fragile bones snapped. "Stop!" Percy ordered, breathing heavily.

The monster snorted, throwing Thalia to the ground. Before she had time to recover and run away, broken ribs and all, the beast slammed a foot—or rather hoof down upon her form, crushing her into golden dust.


	9. Thalia's Charming Uncle

**Some scenes from the book were cut out of this chapter due to me seeing no reason to type them. Also known as my laziness. R & R? **

**Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own it. Only my ideas. **

Percy woke up in a deck chair, his head pounding. He was facing a meadow, grassy hills being the only thing in sight. The air smelled of strawberries. He swallowed, trying to alleviate his dry, soar throat, but to no avail. He glanced to the table beside him and sighed when he saw a tall glass of what looked like apple juice. His numb hands wrapped around the glass and he lifted it to his lips.

"Careful," a familiar voice warned when he almost dropped it.

Percy looked to his left to see Grover leaning against the porch railing, toting a shoebox, and looking like he hadn't slept in days. He wore a pair of blue jeans, sneakers, and an orange camp shirt.

Maybe he just had a nightmare. Grover wasn't a goat, his mother wasn't dead, and Thalia—

His sea green eyes widened and he eagerly looked around for the girl. But, to his disappointment, she was nowhere to be found. Maybe they were still on vacation and had stopped at this big house and Thalia just went to the bathroom or something.

"You saved my life," Grover said. "I…well, the least I could do…I went back to the hill. I thought you might want these."

The satyr placed the shoebox in Percy's lap and stepped away, as if afraid the boy would snap. Percy opened the box, frowning at what he saw inside. A black-and-white bull's horn lay inside the box and next to it was a familiar gold pocket watch. Thalia's pocket watch.

It all came crashing down on him. It hadn't been a nightmare. His mother was dead. _Thalia _was dead. All because of him. They risked their lives saving him and all he had to remember them by was a horn and a fucking pocket watch.

_Not just any pocket watch, _he reminded himself. _Thalia's sword. _

The sword he used to slice off the monster's horn. The sword he rammed through the pathetic beast's stomach. He stared at it, blinking back tears. There was no use in crying now. It was all over. There was no getting them back. Quickly, he took the watch out of the box, stuffing it in his pocket.

He closed the box, not wanting to look at the horn any longer. "The Minotaur."

"Um, Percy, it isn't a good idea—"

"That's what they call him in the Greek myths, isn't it?" he demanded. "The Minotaur. Half man, half bull."

Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You've been out for two days. How much do you remember?"

"My mom. Charona. Are they really…?" He made sure to say Charona. Thalia had told him to tell no one of her true identity, and he didn't intend to. Even if she was gone.

Grover looked down. Percy turned his attention to the meadow, gazing out across the acres of strawberries. His eyes caught sight of the lone pine tree, standing atop the hill. He briefly wondered if that was the tree that Zeus had created in place of Thalia.

It was beautiful. Just like she was. _Was _being the key word.

He rubbed the bridge of his nose, letting out a tired sigh. "I'm sorry," he heard Grover sniffle. "I'm a failure. I'm—I'm the worst satyr in the world."

He moaned and stomped his foot on the porch so hard, his hi-top shot off. "Oh, Styx!" he cursed, as he struggled to put his hoof back in the shoe.

_Well, that settles it, _Percy thought.

Grover was a satyr. Percy probably would've been a little shocked, if he weren't already too miserable to feel anything else but sadness. His mother was gone, dissolved into yellow light. He was practically an orphan now. And what of Thalia? Did she have a family somewhere that was worried sick about her? Were they staying up day and night waiting for a daughter who would never return?

It was all his fault. Grover was sniffling, still obviously upset at himself. "It wasn't _your_ fault," Percy said, frowning.

"Yes, it was," the satyr argued. "I was supposed to _protect _you."

"And you did," he said. "I'm here now, aren't I? It's not like you had to look after my mom and Charona."

"They won't think I've done a good job at protecting you. I'm a keeper. At least…I was," Grover said.

"What's a…" Percy suddenly felt dizzy. His vision blurred and his eyes watered over. Grover helped him lift the glass to his mouth and after drinking it, he felt much better. He chugged the entire thing, recognizing its warm taste as that of his mother's blue chocolate chip cookies.

"Was it good?" Grover asked.

Percy nodded. "What did it taste like?" his satyr friend asked wistfully.

"Chocolate-chip cookies," he answered. "My mom's. Homemade."

Grover sighed. "How do you feel?"

How did he _feel?_ How did he feel after watching his mother and friend get crushed to dust by a freaking Minotaur? Just peachy.

"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred yards."

"That's good," he said. "That's good. I don't think you could risk drinking any more of that stuff."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked as his friend carefully took the glass away from him and set it back on the table.

"Come on. Chiron and Mr. D are waiting," he said.

Percy took the horn from the shoebox, even though he felt like a total doofus carrying it around like some kind of souvenir. Grover had to support him as they walked around the porch, which wrapped around the entire farmhouse.

As soon as they reached their destination, Percy couldn't help but gasp. The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture—an open-air pavilion, an amphitheater, and an arena—except they didn't appear to be very old at all. It was as if Percy took a step outside his world and stepped into Ancient Greece.

High school kids played volleyball in a nearby sandpit. Canoes drifted along the surface of a small lake. Kids in bright orange tees were chasing each other, weaving through a cluster of cabins close to the woods. Other features of the camp were an archery range and a horseback-riding trail.

At the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other, playing cards at a table. The blonde who had been feeding him the weird popcorn pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.

He was shocked by the appearance of the man facing him. He was small and chubby, with curly black hair that almost looked purple. His big watery eyes briefly reminded him of Thalia's big blue eyes but he quickly shook off that thought. He didn't think she'd appreciate being compared to the man.

He wore a tacky tiger-print Hawaiian shirt that reminded Percy of his stepfather and he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the thought. He could only hope this porky man was nothing like Gabe.

"That's Mr. D," Grover murmured. "He's the camp director. Be polite. That girl, that's Annabeth Chase. She's just a camper, but she's been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron…"

He pointed to the man that was sitting across from Mr. D.

Percy instantly recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, and the shaggy beard. "Mr. Brunner!" he cried.

Upon hearing his name, Brunner turned around to smile at his student. "Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle."

He offered the boy a chair next to the camp director, who looked up at him and heaved a dramatic sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now, don't expect me to be glad to see you."

"Uh, thanks," the demigod muttered, scooting his chair a little closer to Brunner. He was about ninety-seven percent sure that Mr. D was wasted off his chubby ass.

"Annabeth?" Brunner called to the blonde.

She came forward and after a few introductions, Brunner told Percy how she had nursed him back to health. He instructed the girl to check on Percy's bunk.

"Sure, Chiron," she replied.

Percy looked her up and down. She was around his age, but she could pass for older. She was a good two or three inches taller than he was and she looked like she played a lot of sports, which he didn't. It's when he met her eyes that he knew she wasn't anyone to be taken lightly. They were a startling gray—pretty, but intimidating.

She glanced down at the horn in his hands, and then back up to his face. Where he expected her praise, he only got a comment that embarrassed him. "You drool in your sleep."

She sprinted off down the lawn.

"So, uh," he began. "You work here, Mr. Brunner?"

Brunner shook his head. "Not Mr. Brunner. I'm afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron."

"Okay," he said, looking over to the camp director. "And Mr. D…does that stand for something?"

Said man looked up from where he was shuffling cards and flashed a reprimanding look. "Young man, names are powerful things. You don't just go around using them for no reason."

Percy recalled Thalia saying something similar. _Names have power, you know,_ she had said. He had a feeling that if she hadn't confronted him before hand about the whole demigod situation, he would be reluctant to believe the people at camp.

But somehow, it was as if all of the pieces were coming together. His life made sense now. He knew why he had always been the weird kid in school. He was never meant to be normal.

"Right. Sorry," he excused half-heartedly.

"Grover," Mr. D called impatiently. "Are you playing or not?"

"Yes, sir!" Grover looked to be trembling as he sat in the last chair.

"Hm, that's awfully strange," Mr. D mumbled to himself, briefly glancing over to the demigod.

"What's strange?" Percy asked, eyebrows furrowed.

"What's strange, _sir_," Mr. D corrected, scowling.

"What's strange, _sir_?"

"Usually the demigods who arrive at camp find it nearly impossible to shut up. They ask about where they are and what's going on. They have trouble believing the gods exist. And yet," here, the camp director smirked, taking a swig of his diet Coke, "you ask no questions. Either you are unbelievably gullible or you are smarter than I originally anticipated."

"I hope it's the last, sir," Percy said.

"I hope it isn't," the man replied. "Dear Chiron, why don't you run the facts past the brat and see what questions he has then?" Percy was beginning to dislike Mr. D more and more.

It didn't sound like a suggestion. Chiron sighed. "Well, Percy, you know Grover is a satyr. You know that you have killed your first monster. The Minotaur. No small feat, lad. What you have yet to learn is that there are great powers at work in your life. Gods—the forces you call the Greek gods—are very much alive."

Mr. D yelled out something about the card game, and Percy immediately turned his attention back to Chiron. Percy didn't wish to watch as Grover bit into the man's diet cola can.

"Gods," Percy said, nodding in recognition. _Looks like Thalia wasn't lying, after all,_ he thought. Did these people know of Thalia as she knew of them?

"The immortal gods of Olympus. You remember, lad. We discussed them in Latin class," Chiron said, silently pleased with the boy's reaction.

"Zeus," he said, and instantly thought of Thalia. Did she look anything like her father? "Hera. Apollo. You mean them."

Distant thunder sounded for what seemed like the millionth time that week.

"Young man," said Mr. D. "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you."

"The names of the gods? I've never met anyone who got offended when someone said his or her freaking name. Don't you think that's a tad bit ridiculous? I don't even think I can believe any of this stuff."

"Oh, you'd better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."

Grover looked as if he were about to say something, but quickly decided against it. Mr. D waved a hand and a goblet appeared in front of him. As if someone had poured wine into the goblet, red liquid suddenly filled it to the brim.

Percy swore his jaw was nailed to the floor. "Mr. D," Chiron warned, "your restrictions."

The camp director glanced to the wine and acted like he were surprised. "Dear me." He looked to the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"

Thunder rumbled.

When Mr. D waved his hand again, the goblet shimmered until a can of Diet Coke stood in its place.

Chiron winked. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph who had been declared off-limits."

"A wood nymph," Percy stated blankly.

"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, I was put on prohibition. Ghastly! Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time—well, she was really pretty, and I couldn't stay away—the second time, he sent me here. Half-Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence', he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down'. Ha! Absolutely unfair."

Percy resisted the strong urge to roll his eyes at the man's childish manner. "And…" he stammered, "your father is…"

"_Di immortales, _Chiron. I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is Zeus, of course." Mr. D rolled his eyes like it should be obvious.

_Zeus. How many freaking children did that guy have? _He was glad Thalia wasn't as annoying as her half-brother. He scanned his mind, trying to remember any children of Zeus in mythology that matched Mr. D's description. Pudgy. Immature. Alcoholic.

"You're Dionysus," Percy said suddenly. "The god of wine."

He rolled his eyes again. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well duh!'?"

"Y-yes, Mr. D."

"Then, well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?" Hell, no.

"You're a god."

"Yes, child."

"A god. You."

Dionysus glared at him, and Percy swore his head was about to combust. Haunting images flashed before his eyes as a tiny purple fire ignited in the god's irises. "Would you like to test me, child?" he asked, his voice eerily quiet.

"No. No, sir."

The fire in the god's eyes died down. "I believe I win."

Chiron ensured Dionysus that in fact, he hadn't won. The god sighed as if he was used to this happening. Then his bloodshot eyes turned to Percy. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners."

* * *

Out of all the places Thalia would rather be spending her summer vacation, the Underworld was not among them. As Hades' cold, black eyes met hers she gave an involuntary shiver. "It is not often I get visitors," he said, his abnormally pale face stretching into a cruel sneer. "But I do enjoy them. Don't I, darling?"

A dark-haired goddess seated in the throne next to him grumbled, "Yes, my Lord. As I enjoy leaving this dreadful place." _Persephone_, Thalia guessed.

Hades rolled his eyes, deciding not to argue with his wife. "So, do enlighten us," he paused, raising suspicion (and people thought her father was dramatic), "Daughter of Zeus. What might you be doing in your charming uncle's domain?"

_Charming. Right. _If the demigoddess wasn't scared shitless, she would probably have laughed in his face. Her boot tapped against the cold, dark floor of his throne room. It was hard for her to sit still, especially when she was nervous. She cleared her throat, realizing that he actually expected her to answer. "The Minotaur…sir," she added, not wanting to be burned to a crisp any time soon.

He smirked in satisfaction, his dark eyes glinting in the dim lightning. "Manners, young Thalia? It is rare that a child of either of my brothers has any manners whatsoever. I must say, I am most impressed."

She half-expected him to applaud, but she was disappointed when he only called one of his servants to him. "Slave," he addressed, beckoning the skeleton towards him. "Why don't you fetch Ms. Thalia a comfortable chair to sit in?"

Thalia let out the breath she was holding. He didn't want to kill her? A few seconds later, a luxurious gold chair was set down behind her. She said thanks to the skeleton, and tried not to take offense when the creature did not reply. She sat down timidly.

"Not that I am not grateful you aren't slicing my head open with a chainsaw," Thalia began, unsure of how she should talk to the Lord of the Dead. "But why are you…um, welcoming me?"

He chuckled darkly as if it were a funny thought. "Chainsaws are far too messy, dear. I prefer clean kills." When her blue eyes widened, he laughed even harder. "I am _kidding. _Do all demigods believe me to be some kind of murderer?"

She shook her head, not wanting to anger the god. "I just wasn't aware that you made jokes like that." She mentally scolded herself. _Gee, way to go, Thalia. Now he can serve fried demigod at his next banquet. _

Due to her microscopic attention span, her mind began to envision what a dinner in the Underworld would be like. Probably like everything else in this place. Creepy.

"Oh, he does," Persephone said, clearly sarcastic. "He's even funnier when mother comes to visit."

Hades grumbled something about ungrateful wives and then turned his gaze back to Thalia. "I am welcoming you, dear, simply because I see no need to kill you." _Er, what? _"We have the same enemy here, after all."

"Who would that be?" Thalia asked, arching an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Perseus Jackson."

As soon as the words exited his mouth, Thalia leaped up from her chair and her face paled. "Percy is not my enemy."

"Oh?" the god challenged, arching an eyebrow as well. "Then would you care to explain why you're lying to him and going behind his back to steal your father's master bolt?"

Thalia swallowed thickly. How had Hades known? "It's not like that."

"Denial is never a good thing, young Thalia," he chastised. "I am not here to sell you out. I simply wish to make a proposal."

"You want to _marry _me?" the demigoddess nearly shrieked, a look of horror present on her face. Persephone glared at her, and Thalia suddenly wished she could take her words back. Who knew the goddess of flowers or whatever could have such a hateful glare?

"Olympus, no," he said. He laughed again, finding the young girl highly amusing. "You are just like your father. You do not think before you speak."

She bit back the hateful reply that wanted to break through her chapped lips. Her sharp tongue had gotten her into enough trouble in her life.

Hades face grew serious once again. "You steal the lightning bolt _and _my helm back and I shall grant you wealth you couldn't even begin to fathom. You bring the bolt back to me so that I may rule Olympus, as it should have been eons ago."

Thalia couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wasn't going to betray her father. She wasn't going to betray _Percy_. "No deal," she scoffed, and nearly winced at how arrogant she sounded.

He seemed surprised. "Hero, do you know what I am offering you?"

"I don't care," she said, attempting to keep her voice steady, "if you are offering me all the money in the freaking world. I am not going against my family."

He sighed. "I was afraid of that. I'm afraid I cannot allow you to leave the Underworld after I have revealed this information to you. I will have you imprisoned and my wife and I shall decided what we will have done to you."

"What?" she questioned, but it was too late. He spoke an incantation, and a giant black hole appeared below her feet.

"Goodbye, sky spawn," he said, smirking as if he had just said the funniest thing in the world, watching her fall down into the pit.

"Honestly, darling," Persephone sighed. "I don't see why you have to be so uptight about all of this."


	10. The Great Escape

**I do not own the character Kyler. The character belongs to Midnight Stallion, and all credit for the character goes to them. Midnight Stallion, if I do not portray the character the way he is meant to be, please let me know and if he shows up in later chapters, I will attempt to write him more accurately. :) **

**Disclaimer: I will never own Percy Jackson. If I had enough money to buy the rights for it, I probably wouldn't. I'd get a mansion.**

Thalia groaned, banging her head against the metal bars of her cell door. Who knew being imprisoned could be so _boring_? She cursed her ADHD and began to pace the length of her cell, unable to stand still. She didn't know how in Hades—literately—she was going to get out of this place. Her father couldn't possibly come charging through her cell door to rescue her. Thalia just wished someone would bust her out of here. Hell, if _Hera _came to rescue her, she would practically grovel at the she-demon's feet.

Could her father just pay off some kind of bounty or something? _Don't think it works like that, _she thought sarcastically. Besides, even if Hades did let someone pay her bail, she doubted it would be for twenty bucks.

"Honey, if you don't stop pacing, you're going to set the floor on fire," a familiar voice said.

Thalia spun around and squinted her eyes at the hunched figure in the corner, clouded by darkness. "Um, hello?"

"It's Sally," the woman said, sounding amused. "Help me up, will you?"

Quickly, the girl sprinted across the cell and helped the older woman to her feet. She gasped, observing the many wounds she had. "Are you alright, Ms. Jackson?"

Percy's mother forced a smile. "I am fine, I assure you. Maybe a couple broken bones. You, on the other hand, look as if you've seen better days."

Thalia glanced down at herself subconsciously. Blood stains covered her once white tank top and she was layered in filth. "I really need a shower," she remarked to herself. Sally heard it and laughed, causing the girl to look up at the woman in alarm.

"A shower? You need a hospital visit."

"Oh," Thalia said, blushing. "That, too."

"Why are you not shocked?" the woman asked, narrowing her eyes in confusion. "Can you see through the Mist?"

Thalia sighed, deciding not to lie to the nice woman. "I'm a demigod. There's no point in freaking out if there's no way to escape."

Sally nodded in understanding. "Percy said you were, I think. Are you as strong as he is?"

"Yep," Thalia affirmed. "But I'm taller."

"He is kind of short, isn't he?"

"I'm afraid so," the girl said.

"Eh, he'll hit his growth spurt," Sally said, shrugging indifferently. Then her face grew worried. "Do you think my Percy is alright?"

"Yeah! I'm sure he's fine," Thalia assured, not wanting Sally to start bawling. She toyed with her thumbs, sliding down the wall to sit on the floor. "So," she said. "You think we're ever going to get out of here?"

"Honey, I don't even know where we are, to be honest," Sally answered.

"The Underworld," Thalia threw out casually. She watched in amusement as the woman's blue eyes widened and she took a step back. "You're just lucky you didn't have to talk to Hades."

"You…talked to the Lord of the Dead?" Sally tried to take calming breaths, but it obviously wasn't working. She took a seat next to Thalia. When the girl nodded in reply, her eyes watered over.

"Oh, shit," Thalia said, realizing her mistake. Her comments were only worrying Sally even further. "Don't worry, Ms. Jackson. I'll get us out of here."

"My poor boy," she mumbled pitifully in response, sniffling. Thalia tightened her jaw. No matter how hard she tried to prevent it, memories flooded her mind. Her mother sobbing about her father day after day. Jason wailing for food when their mother had neglected him. Crying every time her father left when she was a mere child.

Thalia wasn't good with comforting others. She really wasn't. The last time _she _had cried was when Jason was killed. No one had comforted _her _then. She shook off her bitter thoughts. There was no use in stressing over her past. It was all over now.

She hesitantly planted her arm around the older woman's shoulders. "There, there." _Thalia Grace, the freak who sucked at giving advice. _"Percy will be fine."

"Not if I never get out of here," Sally said. "I can't leave him with Gabe! I can't let him grow up without a mother!"

"I grew up without a mother and I turned out fine," she said, shifting uncomfortably. _Uh-oh. Totally the wrong thing to say._ Sally cried even harder, looking like she was about to drown in her own tears.

"I'm sorry, dear," she said, pulling away and wiping her face with the sleeve of her shirt. Thalia shrugged, letting her know it was okay.

Before either of them could speak again, the door to the cell swung open. A hooded figure, decked out in an old black robe, stood at the doorway. "The daughter of Zeus," he spoke, his voice sounding surprisingly youthful. "Your punishment awaits you."

"No!" Sally exclaimed, trying to pull the girl back down when she stood.

"I have to, Ms. Jackson," she reasoned, taking the woman by her shoulders and forcing her to stay where she was. "Maybe you'll make it out of here. Just hang in there."

She walked towards the man and flinched when the woman called out again, "She's just a young girl!"

Sally tried to follow after them, but once they were out the door to the cell automatically swung shut, trapping the older woman in. Thalia and the hooded man walked along in silence. Until Thalia just couldn't stand it any longer.

"So, you got any hobbies?" she asked, wringing her hands nervously.

The man gave a chuckle and flipped back his hood. Dark, silk black hair greeted Thalia's curious eyes. "I play piano," he commented dryly, but he didn't appear like he wished to talk with her at all.

_Too bad, _she thought smugly. She loved to talk.

"You're not much of a talker, I take it," Thalia replied.

He turned to face her, his expression blank. His eyes were a deep blue, darker than hers, and black specks danced in his irises. He shrugged, not giving her an answer. "We should be clear now. I don't see any of Hades' minions around."

"What?" she asked, caught off guard.

He smirked and tossed off his robe to reveal a pair of worn black jeans and some black and silver t-shirt. "You didn't think I actually worked for that creepy chump, did you?"

"Who are you?" Thalia questioned, coming to a stop. The boy was looking at her like she should recognize him from somewhere. He was a few inches taller than her, but looked to be around her age.

"Son of Thanatos," he said slowly, as if he wasn't completely sure he could trust her. She resisted the urge to laugh. She didn't even know who this guy was and he wasn't sure _he_ could trust _her_?

"I was looking for a name, Mr. Mystery," she snickered, crossing her arms over her chest. He brushed her statement off and continued to walk along so she was forced to sprint until she caught up to him. "Hey! Why did you free me?"

He turned and glared at her. "I am trying to save you, if that wasn't already clear to you. Follow me." He spun back around and picked up his pace.

She growled, holding back her angry comment. She trudged along, all the while trying to come up with hateful nicknames for him. He said he was the son of death, so her best bet would be to come up with a nickname that related to his parentage. She doubted 'Piano Boy' would suffice as a proper nickname.

_Death breath. Grim Reaper. Tom Peeper. Tom-peeping. _She grimaced when her mind took a disgusting turn. Tom-peeping wasn't even a good nickname. It didn't make any sense. She was horrible with insults.

"Here," he said, suddenly stopping. He crouched near a rock and pulled out a big shopping bag from behind it. Okay, so he went shopping for her. He rolled his eyes at her look of confusion and handed it to her. "Open it."

She did as he ordered, reluctantly. She never was good with taking orders. She preferred giving them. Thalia reached into the bag and pulled out a dark brown leather flight jacket, before cautiously slinging it on. It fit comfortable enough.

"Your last jacket was pretty much torn apart," he explained. "Your father got you a new one. He said he knows you don't like brown leather, but you'll learn to appreciate it for other reasons."

"Uh…" she said, dumbstruck. "My father?"

"Yes," he said. "He sent me to save you or whatever. Don't ask too many questions. I'm not going to answer them."

"Okay," she scoffed, offended. "Well, my _savior_, what are we going to do now?"

"I am staying here. You," he began, reaching into the bag and pulling out a solid black pearl, "are getting out of here. I wouldn't wait too long. Lord Hades will notice your absence," he paused, and seemed to be considering something. "My name is Kyler."

"It's a freaking _pearl_," she said blankly as he dropped it into her palm. "And, it's very nice to meet you, Kyler," she flashed a sarcastic smile.

"It's one of Persephone's pearls," he argued, eyebrows furrowed. "Think about where you wish to go, step on it, and you'll be there."

"How come I've never heard of these _pearls _before?" she inquired, suspicious.

"Just do as I said."

She glared daggers at him, but he adverted his gaze. She sighed, giving up, and placed the pearl on the ground. It was worth a try. But…where would she go? She couldn't go back to her apartment. She still had to get the lightning bolt. She couldn't go to camp, for obvious reasons. Where else was she to go?

_Long Island. _Thalia nearly jumped at the sound of her father's voice in her head. Shaking off her shock, she took a calming breath. New York it was. With nothing to lose, she lifted her boot and slammed it down on the pearl.

* * *

Thalia didn't know how it happened, but she was suddenly in what appeared to be Long Island. She looked around, and realized she was standing in the middle of traffic. Before an irritated driver could gun his engine and run her over, she ran to the sidewalk.

The daughter of Zeus looked down and frowned. The jacket was nice and all, but the rest of her clothes were still disgusting. She had to find some way to get a new change of clothes. Praying to Aphrodite was obviously out, so she walked along-side the road, looking for some kind of clothes store.

Her dyslexia prevented her from being able to read the names of the stores, but she was easily able to tell what they sold by glancing in the windows. She dived into the first store she could find, which turned out to be a vintage thrift store.

Thalia smirked in satisfaction and began to browse through the different racks of clothes. It didn't take her long to collect all of the items she desired. She waited for an employee to come around and when one did, she cleared her throat pointedly.

"Ma'am, I've purchased these items, but it seems you've forgotten to remove the security tags," she lied easily, and watched as the blonde's hazel eyes narrowed.

"Nice try," the teenager answered, snorting. Then she glanced down and saw Thalia's bloodstained tank top. Her eyes widened a fraction and she started to walk away.

Thalia snapped her finger and a ripple of air passed through her fingers. "Oh, but you remember. I just bought these."

The girl's eyes glazed over and she mumbled, "Oh…uh, yeah. Just let me get rid of those pesky tags for you."

Thalia breathed a sigh of relief, handing the clothes over. She silently thanked her father for teaching her how to manipulate the Mist. Within minutes, she was walking out of the store with a large bag. Now she just needed somewhere to change and maybe a backpack to carry her belongings in.

Great. Now she would have to steal one of those, too. She didn't have any money on her and—

She came to a stop, a chill running up her spine. She didn't have her sword. She hadn't seen any sign of it since the battle with the Minotaur. She glanced down at her wrist and gave a relieved smile when she saw Aegis.

But the whole 'no weapon' thing was still definitely an issue. What if she got attacked? Gods, how was she going to defend herself? There was no way for her to find another weapon, not on such short notice. Celestial bronze didn't come from just anywhere.

Thalia grumbled in annoyance, marching into the closest fast food restaurant and heading into the bathroom. She slipped into one of the stalls and took out a new change of clothes. She had gotten mostly band t-shirts—bands from the eighties and nineties, of course—and a few pants.

She tugged on a faded Pink Floyd shirt and a pair of worn, holey black jeans. Thalia searched the pockets of the pants she had been wearing previously, looking for any belongings of hers. Finding only a gum wrapper and a dime, she chose to deposit the dirty clothes into the bathroom trashcan.

She carried the shopping bag a couple more yards before she found a store with a backpack. After stuffing her new clothes into the stolen bag, she found herself at a loss again. What in Hades was she supposed to do now?

"Well, hello there," a voice suddenly called from behind her.

She faced the speaker but didn't recognize them. She looked to be in her twenties, with long, curly dark hair. Piercing gray eyes focused on Thalia and she felt like she was in a line-up at the police station. "Hi," she said, not wanting to come off as rude.

The lady looked like she was trying not to smile. "It's awfully strange for a young girl such as yourself to be roaming around New York."

"Um…" Thalia struggled to find something to say. "I'm not roaming. I, uh, I live here." Well, it wasn't a lie. She did live in New York…just not in Long Island.

The woman's pretty lips twitched into a smile. "Really? You don't look like you know where you are going."

Thalia fought off a blush, wanting to squirm under the taller woman's gaze. "Well…I do. I was going to um," she scanned the area, and pointed to a random restaurant, "there! Uh, that sub shop."

The raven-haired woman laughed, her analytical gray eyes softer now. "So, you're hungry?" Thalia nodded, a little hesitantly. "Why don't you let me buy you something to eat, little one?"

"No," Thalia said. "You don't have to."

"And what if I insist?" she asked, raising a challenging brow.

"Well," Thalia said, blushing again. This woman made her feel sheepish. Even though her mother was an actress and loved the spotlight, Thalia was extremely shy in front of adults. "I—I guess I won't really have a choice, will I?"

"No, you won't," she answered, smirking. "I insist."

Ten minutes later, the two females sat at a booth table, scanning their menus eagerly. Thalia shifted uncomfortably when she felt the woman's critical gaze on her for the seventh time since they had entered the restaurant.

"You're dimples are awfully cute," the woman remarked absentmindedly, her expression blank. Thalia shrugged, trying not to acknowledge the compliment. She _hated _her dimples. "Father was right."

Cerulean eyes flickered up in surprise. "Pardon?"

"Father said you resembled him greatly," she answered easily. "I doubted it, but I can clearly see it for myself."

"Father? Your father knows me?" She cracked her knuckles, a nervous habit of hers.

The woman smirked. "Yes, father isn't as good at keeping secrets as he thinks himself to be. Do not fret, Thalia Grace. Your secret is safe with me."

Thalia felt irritation swell up in her at the mention of her last name, but she quickly shoved it aside. "Who…?"

"Athena," the goddess gave a genuine smile, which looked slightly off. "I believe we share a father, little one."

Thalia growled low in her throat, suddenly infuriated. "Does _every-fucking-one _know I'm the daughter of Zeus?"

"Language," her sister admonished playfully. She seemed amused at the girl's outrage. This made Thalia even angrier. She attempted to stand up, but when Athena waved a hand, she instantly fell back down into the seat.

"Stay," Athena ordered, still flipping through the menu. "Hmm…tell me, as I do not eat mortal food often, should I order the cold cut sandwich or the meatball marinara?"

Thalia gritted her teeth. "I prefer the cold cut, but the meatball marinara is pretty good." She hated being restrained, but she found herself unable to move. No doubt, it was Athena's doing.

The goddess of wisdom eyed her wearily, leaning back against the booth seat. "You have quite the temper. You would do well to watch your attitude around me."

"What do you want?" she asked bluntly, no longer caring if she was insulting one of the Olympians. She was lost, hungry, confused, and ultimately pissed off. Angering a goddess was _far _from being a concern of hers.

Athena gave the kind waitress their orders and then fixed a hard gaze on her younger half-sister. She looked as if she wished to scold the girl, but then heaved a tired sigh. "I certainly do not wish to fight with you. Father has sent me to direct you on the right path of your mission."

"The right path? My mission? I'm not sure my mission even _exists _anymore. For Rhea sake, Percy is at camp. I failed!" When the words left her mouth, she realized just how truthful they were. She had failed. Thalia Grace was a failure.

"This changes nothing," Athena said. "The son of Poseidon," she spat the name with distaste, "is no longer important. He will be dealt with soon enough. The council has sent monsters after him. He is going on a quest. You will follow him around and after he is killed, you shall remove the lightning bolt from his possession."

"What? No way!" she argued, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat, embarrassed. "You can't do that! He doesn't have the freaking bolt!"

"You will do as ordered, Thalia Grace," she said, her voice dangerously low. "Or Hera might _accidentally _learn of your existence."

Thalia's fists clenched, and she bad to bit her tongue to keep herself from lashing out. Percy was her friend, godsdamn it. She wouldn't let him die. She couldn't. As if sensing her objection, Athena frowned. "Thalia," she began. "You have a choice to make. It's his life…or both of yours."


	11. Just Your Average Strip Joint

**Okay, so despite the title, there are no naked women/men in this chapter. Sorry if you're some creepy pervert and I've led you on. Sadly, this installment does not include much action, but there will be plenty in the next chapter.**

**I am considering writing a chapter from Annabeth's point of view, but I have not decided upon it yet. It might be a little later on before I chose to do so. Reviews are welcome, and I hope you all enjoy. :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson series, any of the characters, _Pulp Fiction, _or a yacht.**

Thalia remained silent. Angrily, she snatched the offered ballpoint pen from her older sister's grasp. She stared at it blankly, realizing it must be a weapon but not wanting it. Thalia Grace was stubborn as hell and she wanted her own sword back. She threw the pen down onto the table, looking away from the woman across from her.

"That sword," Athena began, venomously, "is an exact replica of Anaklusmos, the weapon wielded by Hercules. It was forged by Hephaestus himself. Crafted of pure Imperial gold. I highly suggest you take it, as you currently have no weapon of your own." When the teenager still refused to speak, the goddess huffed. "You're pouting like father."

Thalia realized, with a start, that she was pouting like a child. Her expression hardened into what she hoped appeared to be indifference. "I don't look like him," she mumbled sourly. "Stop saying that."

"Oh, please," she scoffed. "You're the spitting image of him. Except for that odd scar that runs through your eyebrow."

"Stop," Thalia commanded, feeling herself grow even more furious. She didn't like being compared to her pig-headed father. She didn't like hearing about that scar.

Athena didn't heed her warning. "I can't recall a child that has ever resembled him as much as you do. You resemble him so much, even Hera would—"

"_Shut up!_" Thalia yelled, startling the people around them. "I don't _care_! I'm never going to go along with your stupid fuckin' plan, so you can just—"

"Don't interrupt me!" Athena shrieked, even louder than Thalia had. "You incompetent child! You will do as you are ordered. It is your sworn duty as a demigod. You do as your father commands, and you do so without complaint!"

In any other circumstance, she would probably have giggled like an idiot at the word 'duty'. However, in this situation, she was too pissed off to register any of the woman's words. "No," she said. "I don't know if you missed the memo or not, but I am loyal to my friends and my friends _only_. And, last time I checked, Percy was my friend."

Athena stood and leaned dangerously close to Thalia's face. For the first time since meeting her sister, the daughter of Zeus felt fear flare through her willowy body. Her face a mask of untamed rage, she peered up at the goddess defiantly. "This isn't over, Thalia," she threatened. "Even if you won't be there to get the lightning bolt, there's always someone else who would _gladly _take your place. You cannot save your friend, little one. And you've made quite the mistake thinking you could."

Without waiting for Thalia to respond, she vanished into thick gray smoke. The only sign the goddess had been there was the half-eaten sub on the table and the gold ballpoint pen. Thalia wondered for a moment before stuffing the pen into the pocket of her new leather flight jacket. She didn't know what Imperial gold was, but as long as it would slice through a monster, she was fine with it.

She exited the diner, not bothering to pay the bill. Part of her was extremely pissed her godly older sister had promised to buy her food and then ditched her with the bill; the other part of her was just pissed off in general. Usually nothing could put Thalia in a bad mood after she got food into her system, but Athena was able to evoke her temper easily.

She ducked stealthy into a nearby alleyway, as the owner of the sub shop angrily stormed out of the restaurant, his brown eyes searching for any sign of her. Since she had been a runaway for years, lying and stealing were no longer a hassle. It was as easy as breathing to her. It was like her second nature—besides her natural instinct to fight, that is. When the coast was clear, she drifted out of the dark and dank alley, stepping out onto the streets of Long Island.

She had to get to Percy, fast. Before anyone or any_thing_ else did.

* * *

Percy Jackson didn't like being the son of Poseidon. He didn't like the attention. He didn't like his lonely table. But the thing he despised the most about being the son of the sea god was the snide looks he received from other campers, _especially _the children of Athena.

He was currently riding in the camp van, on the way to start his first quest. Every few seconds or so, he'd catch Annabeth glaring at him. It was beginning to piss him off, but he tried not to feel offended by it. He didn't ask to be the son of Poseidon, after all.

"Remind me again," Percy said, sarcastically. "Why do you hate me so much?"

"I don't hate you," Annabeth snapped.

"Whatever." Percy rolled his eyes, and turned to look out the window. He really wasn't in the mood to argue with anyone. His mind was busy enough as it was. He had to return some lightning bolt to Zeus before he was blasted to smithereens. But, he was hopeful. His mother wasn't dead, just captured. And if she wasn't dead…than neither was Thalia. He could save them both.

"Thalia," Grover said suddenly. Percy looked up in surprise. Seeing the boy's look of fright, the satyr sighed. "You're so much like her."

Percy frowned. "What do you mean?"

"You're both crazily loyal. She would do anything for the people she loved. And you're so determined that you can save Charona and your mother. It just reminded me of something she would do," Grover said, a tear spilling from his eye.

"Shut up, Goat Boy," Annabeth said, her face red. "Thalia was nothing like him."

"You're not the only one who misses her, Annie. Just face the facts. Percy is like Thalia. That doesn't mean _you _have to approve."

Percy thought Annabeth looked like she was about a second away from strangling his friend. "Don't call me that," she spat. "And stop talking about her. Before I have to _make _you stop talking about her."

That shut Grover up. The satyr spun back to face the front. Percy didn't know what to say. He hadn't known that Annabeth and Grover knew Thalia. Should he tell them about her? It wasn't really his place to tell. He was afraid Thalia would be enraged if she ever found out. But, still…he felt wrong keeping it from them.

He didn't want to bring the subject up again and evoke Annabeth's rage, but he was not known for thinking before he spoke. "Why don't you want him to call you that?"

Annabeth's jaw tightened and she looked away, refusing to answer. He half-expected Grover to answer, but he didn't either. Percy sighed in frustration. He sure knew how to mess everything up and make things awkward. He couldn't fight off his curiosity. There was so much Thalia hadn't told him, and even though he felt as if they were friends, he felt she had been keeping something from him.

"So," Annabeth said, startling everyone else in the van (even Argus). "Who is Charona? If you don't mind me asking, that is." She still didn't meet his eyes.

Percy furrowed his brow, not really knowing how to describe the girl without his two friends instantly making the connection to Thalia. "She's tall," he said. "Short black hair, shorter than mine. Blue eyes. She has a mean temper, too," he added, remembering the times they had clashed.

"That doesn't tell me about her personality, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth said with a roll of her stormy gray eyes. "Was she nice, smart, stupid, cruel? Give me something to work with here."

"Why do you want to know?" Percy asked, suspicious.

She gave a careless shrug. "Just curious. Trying to start a conversation. Besides, you've talked about your mother a little bit, but you haven't mentioned your friend."

He swallowed thickly, his eyes shifting nervously. He didn't want to reveal too much, but he didn't want her to suspect anything, either. "She was…funny. Very sarcastic," he smiled. "She liked the color blue. She didn't like not being able to do something. She was brave. She wasn't academically smart, but she was far from stupid. At least, I think she was."

"Sounds like someone has a crush," Grover chimed teasingly. Annabeth laughed at Percy's expense, and the demigod blushed. The satyr turned around and smiled, his bad mood gone.

"I do _not _have a crush on her," he objected. "We're just friends." He didn't get why they were even teasing him about it. Thalia and him were close, but only as friends. Can a boy and a girl not be friends without being accused of crushing on one another?

"It's a shame," the satyr sighed in mock disappointment. "Because I think she likes you." Percy snorted. Thalia would never, in a million years, find him attractive.

Annabeth joined in on the mocking and said, "Is she cute?" Percy didn't know why he was blushing so much. It was only encouraging the two teens further.

"Yeah, is she?" Grover asked.

Percy didn't answer and they pestered him even more. Finally, he cracked. "All right, all right! She's kind of cute! So? That doesn't mean I like her."

Annabeth laughed. "Hey, Grover. When we get back to camp, we are _so _telling Silena."

"Gods, no," Percy cried. "I hate you guys."

"You'll learn to love us," Grover said with a shrug.

"Wait," Percy said suddenly, realizing something. "You guys are talking like we're going to get her back."

"Yeah, so?" the blonde questioned, raising her eyebrows. "We are. That's what you wanted to do, right?"

"Oh, what?" Grover asked at Percy's look of shock. "You didn't think we knew what you were planning?"

"Don't worry, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth looked over at him. "We're not gonna spill anything to Chiron. And I doubt Argus will, either." The eye on the back of the driver's neck winked at them and Percy tried not to feel freaked out.

Argus dropped them off at the Greyhound Station in Upper East Side, Manhattan, not far from Percy's apartment. The grabbed their bags, their tickets, and watched as the camp van drove away.

Percy scowled, angry. He didn't want to get the freaking lightning bolt or bail his lousy father out. He only wanted to save his mother and Thalia. After that, he was going home. He didn't want to ever meet his father, unless he had a spare baseball bat handy.

Rain poured down mercilessly, and Percy's thoughts drifted off to Thalia. Did she know her father's bolt was missing? If so, why didn't her father just send _her _to fetch it?

He refused to have such bitter thoughts. It wasn't Thalia's fault and he knew it. She was trying to save his stupid life. He owed her so much. And, he missed her. They were friends, after all. He felt responsible for her death, and he'd be damned if he wouldn't be responsible for rescuing her as well.

Could Thalia make it rain? _Bring Thalia to the club, _he rapped in his mind. _Make it rain on them hoes. _Oh, Gods. Did he actually just think that?

Grover smirked, looking over at him. "Something funny on your mind?"

"What do you mean?"

"Satyrs can sense emotions, Percy. I guess I forgot to tell you. You felt ridiculous for a moment and I got curious," he replied, looking over to Annabeth when she began to speak.

_Satyrs can sense emotions? Say what. _

"You guys wanna play Hacky Sack?" She held up one of Grover's apples.

Eventually, the bus finally arrived. After they boarded and the bus began pulling out of the station, their satyr friend began sniffing around like a hunting dog. "What is it?" Percy asked.

"I don't know," he answered. "Maybe it's nothing."

"Bet it's monsters," Annabeth grumbled under her breath. "Stupid son of Poseidon and your strong scent."

Percy rolled his eyes, choosing not to reply. They sat in the back of the bus, not wanting the any unwanted attention from any of the other travelers. Thankfully, they got to their destination without any trouble. Except for the bus breaking down, of course. Nearly thirty minutes later, the three of them were trudging through the woods.

Annabeth huffed, kicking around a small rock. "Well, this certainly sucks. I was kind of hoping we'd get a little monster action, but nope! The freaking bus broke down."

"You're a very optimistic person," Percy noted sarcastically. She glared at him. He grinned smugly and was about to throw out another witty response when he ran face-first into a tree trunk.

His friends laughed at his expense, and he grumbled curses under his breath.

* * *

Walking along the New Jersey riverbank proved to be dreadfully boring. Thalia huffed in frustration, shoving her hands deep into the pockets of her dark jeans. After a friendly bird—a good pal of the ever-loyal Cherub—told her where she'd find Percy and the two other kids that went on the quest with him, she had hopped on the first bus heading into New Jersey. Being the daughter of the Lord of the Sky had its advantages.

Unfortunately, she had run into all _three _Furies, who she presumed were searching for the son of Poseidon. She wondered if they had somehow gotten their scents confused. After all, they were both strong children of the Big Three. What surprised her the most, though, was the fact that the demons had tried to pry the stolen lightning bolt out of her. Or, what she assumed was the lightning bolt.

_Hades, _Thalia recalled with a scowl. What if he had sent the monsters to recapture her? Did he even realize she disappeared? And, most importantly, how _long _was she there? Percy had to be at camp longer than a few days to receive a quest. Was she gone for weeks? Months?

She made a mental reminder to check the next available newspaper stand for the date. The daughter of Zeus thought back to the events earlier on in the day.

The bus had practically exploded, but Thalia was luckily able to grab her belongings before leaping out of one of the vehicle's windows. She was only able to slice her new weapon through one of the beasts, before flames erupted from the engine of the bus. Some nosy tourists had snapped a few photos of her, probably believing her to be some kind of psycho terrorist. Thankfully, even the annoying mortals hadn't gotten killed.

Now, she found herself lumbering lazily through the dark wood, her heavy leather combat boots thudding against the muddy ground. She narrowly avoided walking into a tree, not able to make out a much in the dim lightning from the city behind her.

Would she ever find Percy? She was getting kind of lonely, having only the squirrels around her as company. Her stomach rumbled and she groaned aloud into the night sky, her face contorting in annoyance. Thalia was starved. She needed food in her system immediately.

Her prayers were answered when she spotted a flashy neon sign ahead. With her dyslexia, she couldn't make out the name of the place. Hoping it wasn't a strip club, she advanced. The scent of greasy fast food hit her nostrils and she inhaled deeply, a gleeful smile lighting up her face. She walked out onto a deserted, two-lane road. On one side of the gravel road, were an old gas station, a billboard for the 1994 movie _Pulp Fiction_, and the brightly lit store that seemed to be the source of the delicious smell.

Thalia rushed in the direction of the store, ignoring her demigod instincts nearly screaming in protest. She frowned in disappointment when all she saw where chipped, worn statues in the yard. Statues had scared her as a young child, but she continued to walk through the yard regardless of any fidgety urges she had to turn around and run off.

As the demigoddess approached the door, it flung open, revealing a tall, cloaked woman. "Oh," the woman suddenly said, obviously surprised. "Dear, are you lost?"

The daughter of Zeus smirked, thinking the woman looked odd with the thick, black shroud wrapped around her head and face. She quickly replaced the smirk with a friendly smile. "I'm afraid I am a little lost. You see, I'm looking for a friend of mine. He has dark hair, green eyes, and he's a little shorter than me. Maybe you've seen him?"

The woman shook her head sympathetically. "No, I am sad to say I haven't," she paused, tilting her head to the side in confusion. "You look awfully young to be out by yourself this late at night, darling. You could not be past your sixteenth year."

"I'm not," she answered sheepishly, looking down. The woman had a friendly, yet familiar accent. It sounded slightly Middle Eastern.

"Where are your parents?" the older of the two pressed, her voice warm and inviting.

"Uh," Thalia started, dumbstruck. "I—I don't have any parents."

"Surely you are not an orphan," the lady clasped a hand over her chest, sounding alarmed. "Oh, darling, you must come in. Let Aunty Em cook you up something to eat, yes?"

Thalia didn't hesitate in following the old woman into the store, even though her senses were going haywire. She felt restless and her veins pulsed with pent-up adrenaline. That only ever happened to her when there was a monster near. The demigoddess continued to walk through statues, deciding that there was no way a nice lady like Aunty Em could be a demon.

They entered a dining area, and Thalia grinned excitedly. There was a soda fountain, fast food grill, a pretzel heater, a nacho cheese dispenser, and loads of other appliances usually found in the food court at the mall. She was pretty sure she died and went to Elysium.

"Please, sit down, dear," Aunty Em smiled behind the facemask of her shroud, and Thalia was barely able to make out the expression. When she sensed the young girl was going to object, she quickly said, "Do not fret, child. I do not intend to charge you for my services."

Maybe she _had _walked into a strip club. A strip club for statues. Thalia held back her laughter, taking a seat at a stone table. "Thanks, Aunty Em," she said politely, her voice sounding husky due to her lack of sleep. "You're awesome."

"It is my pleasure," Em replied. She turned around and disappeared into the large kitchen area, leaving Thalia to her thoughts.

Three, possibly four gods were already aware of her existence. What she didn't understand, however, was why Poseidon had not yet done anything to harm her. Zeus was his rival, after all. Maybe he was okay with her, seeing as he had a child of his own. Thalia shook her head at herself, propping her boots up onto the stone table and crossing her long, jean-clad legs. Gods were selfish, and even if they did care for one of their children, they wouldn't accept a child of their rival's.

How had Poseidon even discovered her in the first place? Had he been keeping tabs on Percy? Did he actually care about his son enough to do something like that?

She froze, her bright blue eyes widening dramatically. Wasn't that what her father was doing? She knew the powerful, slightly creepy god checked up on her every once and a while—but did he have people _watching_ her? The demigoddess glanced around, suddenly paranoid. There _was _that anxious pizza delivery guy nearly three months back. And she was pretty sure someone was watching her from her dorm window back at Yancy.

Thalia silently scolded herself for being so paranoid. She was turning into her father.

A tingle ran up the girl's spine and not even a second later, a loud knock sounded at the door. "Thalia, darling," Aunty Em called from the kitchen, "would you be so kind as to answer the door? I do not wish to leave your dinner unattended."

"Sure thing, Em," Thalia said, her brain not even registering that the lady had somehow known her name. She all but ran to the door, eagerly anticipating her meal. She opened the door, her thick lips stretching into a smile.

"Hello, how may I—" sea green eyes met hers and she froze mid-sentence, shocked.

She hadn't expected Percy and his friends to be behind her. She might've walked on right past them earlier. Thalia watched as the demigod in front of her gaped, his eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets. There were two teens behind him—Grover and some familiar blonde. The satyr looked as awestruck as Percy, but the young girl that was with them didn't seem to understand why her male companions were freaking out.

The daughter of Zeus gave an awkward smile. "Hey…" she unsurely began, her stomach churning sickly. "Surprise?"


	12. Spineless Fools

**A/N: This is the longest chapter yet, but it is full of action. As expected, Percy and Thalia are going to get into a fight, but it isn't going to be too serious. Sorry about that. There will be much more violence in later fights, I promise. Not that previous statement foreshadowed any fights. -shifty eyes-**

**The chapter switches points of view often. Hopefully, it doesn't become too confusing.**

**Feedback is encouraged. :D **

The four teens sat around the stone table, each attempting to make themselves comfortable on the rough benches. Thalia, feeling the most awkward of all, clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. Repeatedly. When the blonde glared at the older girl abruptly, she ceased the annoying habit and instead chose to look at the boy across from her. Percy was sending her a look of frustration, obviously wanting to hear an explanation from her. But she couldn't tell him; not with Aunty Em frying up some food in the kitchen.

"So," Thalia began, hesitantly, the words feeling like acid on her tongue. This shouldn't have been hard for her. She always managed to start a conversation. Since she had uttered her first word as an infant, she had never been completely speechless. She didn't like the sudden attention the one word had caused her to receive. The achingly familiar blond girl eyed her critically, as if she didn't know what to make of the girl.

Thalia cleared her throat pointedly, looking to try again. "How do you know Percy?" she asked, directing the question to the younger girl beside her.

The girl continued to stare at her blankly and the daughter of Zeus began to feel like a rabid animal in a cage. She was sure that any minute now, the girl would start to prod her with sticks for amusement.

Percy grinned, obviously finding the girl's silence humorous. "Ah, don't worry. Annabeth here is just a little high maintenance." The friendly expression faded from his face and he turned his emotionless gaze to the brunette.

Thalia shifted uncomfortably, resisting the urge to glare back at him. A fight was going to occur between the two of them; she could feel it.

"I am not, you little—" the girl began to object, her face blazing red.

"Annabeth?" Thalia interrupted, no longer caring if the blonde wished to ignore her. The girl's head snapped to her at the mention of her name. "Your name is Annabeth?"

Annabeth glanced up at her slowly, nodding her head in an almost numb fashion. "That's correct," she said, stiffly. "What's yours?"

Before she could answer, Aunty Em sashayed back into the dining area, somehow balancing four plates on her arms. She smiled warmly at them, but her grin seemed to falter when she caught sight of Annabeth. The woman quickly recovered, looking to Thalia instead.

"I thought it sounded like I had a few more visitors," she remarked coyly. "I have made enough food for all of you." She gingerly set down the plates and left the room, Thalia assumed to fetch the drinks. She returned seconds later, all four drinks in hand.

Thalia didn't recall ever eating a burger as fast as she did right then. Part of her, a very selfish part of her, fought off the urge to ask for seven more of the delicious cheeseburgers. She looked around her and realized the others had eaten their food just as fast.

"Thanks, Em," the daughter of Zeus said, looking across the table at the old woman. "The food was great. You should run your own restaurant."

"You are a very social person," Annabeth pointed out around a crisp fry. "Do you always talk this much?"

Thalia narrowed her eyes, but fought back the sarcastic remark that was sure to escape her lips. If this girl was who she suspected she was—the seven year old girl she had helped reach camp—the last thing she wanted to do was come off as rude to the girl.

"I do not mind social people," Aunty Em suddenly said, and Thalia could've sworn she was glaring at the blonde beneath that dark shroud. "It is not often I get visitors, you see."

"Oh?" Percy questioned, his mouth still in an angry, thin line. "Why's that?"

The woman gave a light shrug. "Not many people head down this road. That is why I often ask visitors to let me take a photo of them. So I can remember that, once in a blue moon, I am not always alone."

"You're lonely here?" the blonde asked, trying to keep the conversation going.

Aunty Em regarded her for a long moment. "Dreadfully so. I was not always lonely, in my younger days. I had friends, a family…a love."

"What happened?" Grover asked, tearing into his plate.

"It was all taken away from me," the older woman declared bitterly. "All because of a stupid, vengeful wench."

"Wench?" Thalia asked with a laugh. "Get with the times, Em. No one says wench anymore."

"I fear that is the nicest word I am able to utter at the moment," she stated coldly. "Everyone betrays us in the end. You may think you are able to trust a person—love them, even—and the second your life takes a turn for the worse, they up and leave you."

"Nasty break up?" Annabeth raised her blond brows.

Aunty Em refused to look at the girl. She definitely had something against her. "You know, young Annabeth," she said, still not bothering to look away from Thalia. "You have the prettiest gray eyes."

Thalia couldn't shake away her smug smile when the blonde's cheeks flushed a bright red. "Th-thank you," she said, unsurely.

The woman mumbled, clearly about to change the subject. "Have you ever been in love?" she asked the daughter of Zeus.

Wasn't that a simple question?

"No," she replied without hesitation. "Why are you asking me, ma'am?"

"Curious, actually," she said, tilting her head to the side in contemplation. She glanced to Percy, and Thalia could see the trace of a smile. "What about you, Perseus?"

"Uh, I don't think so," he responded honestly. "I'm kind of focusing on getting through school." _It's summer, idiot_.

"A scholar, are you?" she asked, and Thalia refrained from laughing. Annabeth, however, could not help herself. The blonde began to laugh aloud, rocking herself in her chair.

"No," he said, blushing. "Stop, Annabeth! It's not that funny."

Thalia stood up, her hands shaking anxiously. Her body was on high alert, and she and she had no clue why. _Time for a smoke break, _she thought wryly, taking a quick sip from her drink. "Where are you going?" Aunty Em asked, looking up at the tall girl.

"I'm just getting some fresh air," she said, refusing to meet Percy's eyes. She visibly cringed when the boy stood and walked over to her. "What are you doing?" she asked begrudgingly.

"Buddy system," he said with a smirk. "Thought I'd accompany you on your devastating journey."

"I don't know about that," she responded suspiciously.

"Oh, and why not?" he asked, scowling. "Plannin' on ditching me again?"

That stung.

Thalia opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to think of anything to reply. Percy grinned smugly in satisfaction. "C'mon," he said, grabbing her hand in his and heading for the exit. "Let's go get some air, yeah?"

"I'm sorry," Thalia weakly apologized when they were standing outside, the cold air chilling their skin. He still hadn't let go of her hand.

Being from Michigan, she wasn't affected by the temperature. Some times, the city of Detroit was colder than the North Pole. She didn't know why her mother even insisted upon moving there after her acting career fell through. They could've lounged back in Malibu—but _no_, they had to freeze their asses off in The Wolverine State.

She looked to the boy across from her and found him shivering. "Percy," she said. "Are you okay? Say something."

"I'm just a little cold," he said with a chuckle. His cheeks had a rosy tint to them that made him look even cuter than he usually did. She blushed at her thoughts and looked away. Thalia heard him sigh. "I didn't mean the way I acted in there."

She shrugged. "You have every right to be angry with me. I should have came to you first thing, I know."

He shook his head, giving a small smile. "No," he dismissed her excuses. "It's probably safe that you didn't. You have people wanting to kill you and everything." He laughed, but it sounded strangled. "I guess I have people wanting to kill me, too."

"Son of Poseidon and all," she agreed with a nod.

"You knew?" he asked, looking up. He appeared startled.

"More of a suspicion, really," she lied, not wishing to anger him. She wasn't sure how much she could push him before he snapped. She had already lied to him enough, but she didn't want to tell him the complete truth and risk their still-developing friendship. "I mean, I wasn't sure, but I—uh, thought there was a chance you might be."

"Your Dad sent you after me, thinking I had the lightning bolt?" he questioned, raising his brows. She swallowed thickly. How had he known? People should really give him more credit. Even if he wasn't academically superior to others, he wasn't as oblivious as everyone believed him to be. He grinned at her shocked expression.

"It wasn't like that, I swear," she hurried to explain. "I never thought you had it, Percy. I told my father you didn't have it, he just wouldn't believe me. I'm not against you."

Percy picked at the drawstring of his thin gray hoodie and cleared his throat. The smile on his face hadn't faded, and it made Thalia nervous. His fingers tightened in her hold and she flushed red before tearing her hand away. "Sorry," he mumbled, suddenly dejected.

"I'm the one who should be sorry."

"Maybe you are," he said, smile back in place. "But it's fine. I trust you."

"_Why_?" she asked, incredulous. What reason could he possibly have to trust her after she went behind his back and spied on him?

"Because you're my friend," he answered simply. "'Sides, if you meant me any harm, you would've kicked my ass back when we were still in Yancy."

"Or at Montauk," she said, running a hand through her wild dark hair. She had to get a haircut soon; her hair was growing out and she had a major cowlick.

His eyes watched her movements in interest. "My Mom," he stated blankly. "Please tell me you've seen her. Were you in the Underworld, too?"

"She's fine," she assured, setting her hand on her shoulder. "I couldn't escape with her, but she's doing okay. She's strong, for a mortal. Sally will make it through, I know it."

"I'm rescuing her. I was going to save you, too. Guess you don't really need saving now, though," he smiled.

_But you do. _"I guess not," she said.

"Listen…we didn't really get a chance to talk before," he started, meeting her eyes.

"What do you mean?" Thalia raised an eyebrow.

"Well, about the whole _powers _thing," he said. "You never did show me much of what you can do."

"Have you learned any of your powers yet?" She smiled. She dug the carton of cigarettes from the inside of her new leather jacket and pulled two from it. Percy cautiously took the offered cancer stick and stuck it between his lips. Thalia mimicked his actions and fumbled with her lighter before both of the tips were lit.

Thalia took a long inhale; both loving and hating the way the addictive substance filled her lungs. Even though she knew it was a dangerous and immature habit, she had first picked up a cigarette when she was nine years old and hadn't been able to put it down since. Percy tried to do as she did, but ended up erupting into a coughing fit.

He tossed the cigarette to the ground angrily and stomped it out with his sneaker. "How the hell do you smoke that disgusting stuff?"

The daughter of Zeus laughed at his expense. "You get used to it." She pulled the cancer stick from her mouth. "Anyway, about the powers?"

"Oh, yeah," he said excitedly. "I can control water and stuff."

"Figured that much, Kelp Head," she scoffed. She finished most of her cigarette and flung it to the concrete before flattening it out with her boot.

His mouth went wide in surprise but he couldn't help but laugh. Percy lightly punched her in the shoulder. "Watch it, Lightning Dolt."

"Hey, now that ain't cool," she frowned, punching him back. "Sharkboy."

He grinned. "Lighten up, Static Shock."

"That was lame," she commented dryly. "Even for you, Aquaman."

"Storm." He pinched her nose.

She glared at the gesture, reaching out to pull his ear. "Dolphin Breath."

Percy frowned, rubbing his sore ear. "Air Head."

She smirked, an idea striking her. Thalia knew he would probably get pissed off at her, but she couldn't resist. "Shrimp Dick."

Percy's eyes darkened. "Oh, it's on now."

* * *

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Annabeth said suddenly, biting into her second burger. "Are they throwing a party out there or something?"

"I can see why they didn't invite you," Grover jibed, smiling so she would know he was only kidding. "No one wants to invite the girl of a million questions."

"Shut up, Grover," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. Aunty Em had left to her back room when the teens had ventured outside and still had yet to return. Annabeth got a bad vibe from the strange, shrouded woman. The woman seemed to be glaring at her every time she dared to speak.

"Just sayin'," he grinned, picking at her plate. "It wouldn't surprise me if they were making out. They're _so _into each other."

"And yet so oblivious?" Annabeth guessed.

"Exactly," Grover affirmed with a nod.

"Who is she, anyway? She never did introduce herself, but she seems to know you two." The blonde wiped at her mouth with a napkin.

"Get this," Grover started, leaning in dramatically. "That's _Charona_."

Annabeth gasped. "No _way_."

"Yeah way," Grover said like a Valley Girl, flipping a lock of his hair from his eyes. The daughter of Athena laughed, shaking her head at her satyr friend's actions. Even though they hadn't been close—ever, especially since Thalia died because of him—she was slowly warming up to him.

The satyr had his moments.

"You think we should go check on them?" she asked, furrowing her blond brows.

"Nah," he answered. "I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

* * *

"You wanna say that again, Ozone?" Percy snarled, stepping dangerously close to the raven-haired girl.

"What're you gonna do, Priscilla? Kick my ass?" Thalia taunted, leaning closer to him.

"Something like that," he said, cracking his knuckles.

"Bring it, mama's boy!"

Percy tackled her to the ground, trying to get the upper hand. Thalia was too fast for him, though—she easily spun out from underneath his punches and sprung to her feet. Before he could so much as turn around, she had him in a painful headlock. Even though she was faster, he was physically stronger than she was. He grabbed onto her arm and used all of his strength to flip her over his back.

The demigoddess hit the ground, immediately rolling into a crouching position. She swung out with her leg, roughly kicking the boy's knee. Percy almost lost his balance, and smartly backed further away. Thalia stood and threw a punch towards his face.

Percy only barely avoided being hit, having just enough time to move his head to the side. Her attacks didn't stop, though. She was everywhere at once, it seemed. Was something in those burgers? _Shrooms, definitely, _he thought, ducking to avoid a high kick aimed for his skull. Or, in Thalia's case, steroids.

He'd have to fight back soon, but he was unable to find any opening. If he struck out with any part of him, another part of him was doomed to be injured. Toughening up, he clenched his fist and drove it into her abdomen. Unfortunately, that left his jaw unprotected. He clutched his face, stepping backwards.

Thalia smirked smugly, and Percy wanted nothing more than to knock it off of her face. "Gettin' tired already, Shrimp D—"

"Don't you dare," he growled in warning. Before she could think of another witty remark, he dove towards her again.

* * *

"So, how did she get out of Hell?" Annabeth asked.

Grover shrugged. "I have no idea. And don't say hell. You're way too young for that."

"Am not," she argued. "'Besides, it's a place."

"Are too," he mocked, smirking. "All those years with Luke and Thalia sure corrupted your vocabulary."

"Don't talk about them," she warned glumly, scowling. Thalia was still a sensitive subject for her, and she felt like Luke didn't want anything to do with her since the daughter of Zeus passed on. She didn't blame Thalia—not at _all_—instead, she found it in her seven-year-old self to blame the satyr. She was trying to stop doing that, though. Even though it had been his responsibility to protect her friend, she wouldn't be alive if it weren't for his efforts.

"Sorry, Annie," he apologized, sighing.

"Don't call me that," she lectured, playfully this time.

He smiled. "Annie."

* * *

Thalia fell back onto the concrete, wincing as out-of-place glass shards pierced her jacket. She really hoped they didn't find themselves lodged into her skin. She braced her hands above her head and flipped to her feet. Percy and Thalia began to circle each other, waiting to strike.

Kicking his ass proved to be harder than she thought it would be. With any other demigod, it wasn't a big feat. With the son of Poseidon, however, she found her skill matched. She doubted either of them could best the other. That wasn't going to stop her from trying, though.

She didn't want to resort to her powers, but she found no other way to win the fight. Feeling the sparks coursing through her veins, she briefly glanced down to see the lightning spinning around her clenched fists like barbed wire on a prison yard fence. Percy didn't seem to notice. He struck out, aiming to uppercut her. She easily dodged, catching his fist in her hand.

If he didn't notice the sparks before, he certainly did now.

His sea green eyes widened and she took advantage of his confused state, punching him swiftly in the gut. Due to the force of the lightning, he was flung nearly twenty feet across the yard. Guilt instantly filled her. She glanced traumatically to her worn hands, taking notice of her bloody and bruised knuckles.

Percy had a hard face.

* * *

"I'm going to check on them," Annabeth announced, standing up.

Grover shrugged carelessly. "Be my guest. But don't come screaming to me when you catch them swappin' spit."

"You're disgusting," she commented, wrinkling her nose.

"Don't hate the playa," he smirked.

"That doesn't even pertain to this conversation, Grover," she said, looking confused. "Are you sure you aren't a demigod? You are so random."

"You know, now that you mention it," he paused to run a hand dramatically through his hair. "I may be a son of Aphrodite."

She snickered. "Yeah right."

"Get outta here," he called out in a strange accent. Annabeth cast him a frightened look before making her way outside.

Grover was acting awfully strange. He was such a weirdo. The daughter of Athena cautiously turned the doorknob and flung the door open. Seeing no one outside, she stepped out into the cold and scanned the grounds.

* * *

"Percy," Thalia wearily called out across the yard, making her way towards his unmoving figure. "Oh my God," she gasped when she caught sight of him. His face was covered in bruises, and although she knew she probably looked just as beat up, she felt herself sink into regret.

She knew she shouldn't have got carried away. She was always so impetuous. Now she was dealing with the consequences. Thalia reached out to him, her hand brushing his cheek. As soon as their skin touched, the boy's eyes flew open and he threw a punch that had Thalia falling back onto her ass.

"Fucker," she yelled, springing to her feet. He caught a hold of her arm and twisted it behind her back. He tightened his hold and she bit her lip to keep from wincing. She had been through worse pain—no doubt—but pain was pain.

"Cheater," Percy snapped.

Thalia head butted him and spun out of his hold. "You talk a lot of trash for someone who can't back it up."

She lifted her foot up for a Spartan kick, but Percy anticipated the move and grabbed her calf. Twisting her leg, he watched in satisfaction as she flipped onto the ground. Before she could get up, he quickly spun her onto her back and straddled her, pinning her hands above her head.

"Get the fuck off of me," she growled, strongly bucking her hips upward. He lost his balance and fell onto his side, giving Thalia the opening she was looking for her. When she went to mount him, however, he gripped one of her arms tightly.

"Sure you wanna do that?" he asked threateningly.

Thalia loved a good challenge.

* * *

Annabeth gasped, the quiet sigh spilling from her chapped lips inaudibly. The brunettes were grappling on the floor, limbs and punches thrown everywhere. They had somehow found themselves tangled, their legs intertwined. To make matters worse, it looked awful suggestive.

The girl noticed her presence first. Her dark head shot up, her bright blue eyes catching sight of the younger girl. She seemed to forget she was fighting the son of Poseidon and began to untangle herself.

"Annabeth!" Percy cried, startled. He unhooked the zipper of his jacket from Thalia's pants zipper and jumped to his feet.

"Came to check on you two," she said, smirking. "Didn't realize you'd be, uh…_busy._" She raised her eyebrows suggestively. The teens didn't seem to catch on to the innuendo.

"She started it!"

"He started it!"

They turned on each other, faces red. "You're the idiot who flipped out on me when I called you Shrimp Dick!" the girl claimed, missing the way Annabeth blushed scarlet and her mouth dropped open in shock.

"You're the one who started the name calling!" Percy accused, crossing his arms over his chest.

"You hit me first!"

"And I _missed_!"

"S'not my fault you can't hit worth a shit," Thalia barked, her nostrils flaring unattractively.

"You have stupid hair!" Percy screamed, not able to come up with an intelligent comeback.

"You're one to talk, cowlick," she replied, voice heavy with unkempt rage.

"Stop!" Annabeth shouted above the arguing. "You're acting like three-year-olds!"

The raven-haired teens flushed, looking to their shoes. Something about lectures from the angered daughter of Athena made them want to run home crying. She was terrifying. "Now, we are going back inside and if you two so much as _glare _at each other, I am going to personally kick both of your asses."

When they didn't respond, her gray eyes narrowed. "Am I understood?"

"Yes," came the mumbled, collected response.

"Good," she sighed, internally proud of the way she handled the situation. "Back inside, the both of you."

* * *

"This is all your fault," Thalia whispered bitterly. Percy glanced at her, his green hues clearly portraying his anger. The daughter of Zeus expected him to hit her. To her surprise, his mouth stretched out into a smile.

"If you think about it," he suggested, in a whisper. "Like, _really _think about it, it's kind of funny."

"You think it's funny that I kicked your ass?" the girl question wryly, arching a dark eyebrow.

Percy gave a fake laugh. "Sure, girly. Whatever gets you to sleep at night." He tilted his head to the side. "It _is _funny, though. Think about it. I didn't get mad at the fact that you were practically stalking me—"

"Was not," Thalia mumbled, interrupting.

"—but when you called me a harmless nickname, we got into a full-fledged battle," he finished. Thalia hated the way he was grinning at her. He was brushing off their earlier fight as if it were nothing more than a mere squabble. Well, the bruise on her brow said otherwise.

They sat next to each other at the stone table again, flinching under the critical gaze of the infuriated blonde. Aunty Em had returned to the table and was now eyeing Percy as if he were a piece of meat.

"Oh, are you children all right?" she nearly purred, walking around to the boy and placing a chilly set of hands on his shoulders. "Get into a rather nasty dispute, did you?"

Percy blushed, slowly inching out of the woman's hold. "Something like that," he vaguely answered. His eyes flickered to Thalia and he was delighted to see she gave him a small smile.

"I handled it," Annabeth assured the foreign woman, not bothering to glance up at her.

"I would hate to trouble such darling orphans," the woman began. "But, you see, it is my own personal tradition to take pictures of visitors, and—"

"Say no more," Thalia silenced, flashing a small smirk. "We'll take a picture, ma'am."

The children could make out the maniac grin beneath the shroud and it made them slightly uneasy. "Oh, wonderful," the woman clapped her hands in excitement. "We shall go outside and take it, yes?"

Thalia shifted on the stone bench, preparing herself to pose for the woman's picture. Percy sat to her left; Annabeth to her right. Grover was perched on the floor in front of them, leaning back against her knees. The daughter of Zeus was about to smile when she heard a faint hissing noise. Looking around cautiously, she furrowed her eyebrows. Were there snakes around?

Snakes are everywhere, genius. _Not in Ireland, _she argued with herself, before she realized talking to her mind was a sign of insanity.

"Where is your camera?" Grover asked, searching for the hidden object.

"I do not have one, dear satyr," Aunty Em rasped in an unnatural voice. Her hand began to slowly unwrap her shroud and the daughter of Athena gasped.

Thalia felt her heart skip a beat. Could it be…?

"Run!" Annabeth's warning sliced through her thoughts just before the shroud revealed the woman's face and she dived off the bench, heeding the girl's instincts. She trusted the girl with her life, even if she hadn't seen her in forever. Percy, being slower to react, chased after the daughter of Zeus.

She rushed through the unending maze of statues, searching for a way out. She didn't know what the hell Aunty Em was, but she knew it was nothing good. Percy was hot on her heels, panting. She knew the boy was a horrid runner, but damn. He was getting tired this fast?

Thalia reached behind her and grabbed onto his hand, helping him to run along. A shock ran up her spine but she brushed it off. Her nerves were going crazy. A statue crumbled to the ground off to their left and Annabeth's voice called out over the noise.

"Don't look at her! Shield your eyes!"

Thalia scanned the area for the blonde, but she was nowhere in sight. Using her free arm to guard her face as she walked along, she caught herself before she could trip on a clump of rock. Percy wasn't as lucky. He crashed to the ground, his face impacting with the rough surface.

"Son of Poseidon," a scratchy voice reached Thalia's ears. "All alone, are you? I warned you, darling, your _friends _will only leave you in the end."

Thalia drew the ballpoint pen from her jacket pocket and cursed herself for not thinking to take it out earlier. She quickly activated it, not able to watch it was it transformed into a long, imperial gold sword.

"Daughter of Zeus," the monster croaked, obviously surprised. "Impossible!"

"But likely," Thalia jibed, swinging out blindly with the sword. As she expected, the blade didn't connect with Aunty Em flesh.

"Your older brother may have been able to defeat me, demigod, but I am not so foolish now," the demon stated, and Thalia felt her getting closer. She jabbed in front of her with the sword and swore aloud when she missed.

"Medusa," she heard Percy whisper off to her left.

Thalia wanted to smack herself. _Of course it was Medusa. _How could she have been so oblivious? She searched her mind for how Perseus had slain the Gorgon. Fire, dismembering, the hokey-pokey, decapitation, line-dancing—

_Decapitation. _

Great. Now she just needed to find out where the hell the bitch's head was. She didn't think she could just outright as her to place her head beneath the blade. As inhuman as monsters were, they weren't always stupid.

Medusa gave a cruel laugh, and the sound of slithering snakes filled Thalia's ears. Something began to prod and nibble at her face and she visibly paled. A serpent attempted to wiggle up her nostril and she blew her nose grotesquely, not wanting to spend the rest of the night picking snakes from her brain.

"You heroes are all the same," the monster mocked, circling the girl menacingly. "Loyal to your friends. Tools to the spineless Olympians." _Reptiles don't have spines either, lady, _Thalia thought insultingly. "You all live and die tragically. Luckily for you, I am giving you an option."

Thalia resisted the urge to talk; she didn't want a snake crawling into her mouth, too. "Surrender the lightning bolt and join forces with—"

"Don't listen to her!" Percy's voice called. Medusa hissed, along with the snakes sprouting from her cranium and Thalia felt the monster briskly move away from her. No doubt heading towards the injured son of Poseidon.

She couldn't afford to let something happen to him. Letting her demigod instincts take over, she felt an invisible rope pulling her towards the monster. Even though she couldn't see the Gorgon, she could sense her—and that was about a thousand times better. Being a demigod may have its downfalls, but she'd be damned if it didn't have some kick-ass benefits as well.

The air around her sped up, tousling her hair wildly. As she wasn't used to manipulating the wind, it didn't feel like a part of her whereas lightning did. She heard Medusa speaking to Percy, and she managed to decipher some of the hissed words.

"You are a puny mortal! You could not even imagine my pain!"

"Guess I'll have to settle for causing it," Thalia quipped, slicing at Medusa. A gross noise announced the removal of the Gorgon's head and the monstrous figure erupted into dust.

"Wow," Percy let out a breath of air. "You've got some killer senses."


	13. Bad Choice of a Campsite

**A/N: Been a while since I updated, I guess, and I apologize for that. The next chapter for Kings of Olympus will most likely be posted some time today, as well. There's little action in this chapter, but there will be plenty in the next installment. Anyway, here it is. And I hope you will enjoy it. :) **

**Feedback is always encouraged.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own PJO, sorry. **

"And how exactly did you two wind up fighting?" the blonde asked, treating the older girl's scarred knuckles with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball. The strong smell hit the brunette's nostrils and she recoiled. "Hold still, Charona," the daughter of Athena ordered, wrapping up several of her fingers in bandages.

The more Annabeth and Grover said her alias, the more she began to hate it. Thalia ran her tongue over her dry bottom lip and shrugged, attempting to seem nonchalant. "We just started arguing and it progressed."

Percy and Grover were busy in the main room of Medusa's store, packing up some necessities they found. Annabeth had led the daughter of Zeus into the bathroom to begin cleaning her up. As expected, the younger girl started to interrogate her as soon as they entered the small room. _She was just as curious when she was younger, _Thalia thought, trying to clench her fingers to her palm at Annabeth's request. She winced, regretting punching Percy so violently.

"See?" Annabeth said, raising her brows. "Fighting gets you no where."

"It gets you in the bathroom with a crazy chick," Thalia mumbled under her breath. Unfortunately, the blonde heard her and smacked her hard upside the head. "Ow!"

"How hard did you hit him?" the girl asked, examining one of Thalia's hands with wide eyes. She turned her attention to the brunette's face and scoffed. "How hard did he hit _you_?"

The daughter of Zeus felt panic rush through her as she abruptly stood and glared at her reflection. Her spoils of war included a black eye, bruised temple, and a busted lip. She heard Annabeth chuckle behind her. "I didn't think it was possible for your lips to get any bigger, but they're looking awfully swollen," she joked.

Thalia grumbled, falling back on a chair with a thump. Who even kept a chair in their bathroom? Did Medusa sit and watch her customers use the toilet with a magazine in her wrinkly hands? "Whatever," she brushed off the jibe with a snort. "So, where you kids headed?"

"We're not kids, for one. You're only about a year or two older than us," Annabeth said with a roll of her gray eyes. _Yeah. A year or two sounds about right. _ "From what I can tell, anyway. And, two, you're not coming with so it shouldn't matter to you."

"What?" Thalia asked, sitting up straighter in the wooden chair. "What do you mean, I'm not coming with? Why can't I?"

She sounded like a child and she knew it. But she couldn't let the demigods go on their little quest while wild monsters would be after them. They needed all the help they could get, especially if it was help from a child of Zeus. Then again, Annabeth and Grover didn't know who she actually was.

"You're a mortal," the younger girl replied, as if it were the simplest reason in the universe. "I don't know how or why you know about demigods, but it would be safest for all of us if you don't tag along."

"But I'm _not _mortal!" the demigoddess cried indignantly.

"…What?"

Thalia froze, realizing she was now in deep shit. She could claim to have been lying, but she had always been a horrid liar when it came to the daughter of Athena. She could always come clean, but she felt she had received enough punches to the face to last her a good year and a half.

"I'm not mortal," she repeated again. "I'm a demigod, too."

Annabeth stared wildly, searching for any falseness on the older girl's face. "Who is your godly parent, then?"

"That's not important," Thalia said, cutting off the line of conversation. "I'm here to help. That's all you need to know."

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. She had always hated not knowing things, Thalia remembered. "Well," the daughter of Athena clucked her tongue in annoyance. "I guess it's settled then. You'll come along, a complete stranger, and provide some extra back-up while we're searching for what is possibly the most powerful weapon in the world."

"Possibly?" Thalia asked incredulously. "There's no possibly about it. The master bolt _is_ the most powerful weapon in the universe." Getting her hot-headedness from her father, she found herself offended.

"What would you know about it?" Annabeth inquired, clearly holding back her laughter.

"Everything," the daughter of Zeus argued weakly. "Hey, what are you laughing at?"

"Your face is priceless. Do you always look this funny when you're angry?" the blonde erupted into laughter.

Thalia smiled sarcastically. "Oh, you're _so _funny. You should have your own freakin' talk show!"

"Your nose is so totally flaring."

"Shut up!" Thalia flung her bandaged hands over her nose and stormed out of the bathroom. Percy and Grover looked up, alarmed, when the girl all but marched into the room and plopped down onto one of the seats. "I hate my life," she groaned, still covering her face.

"What's wrong?" Percy asked with furrowed brows.

_That demon you call Annabeth won't stop picking at me, _she longed to say. "Nothing."

"You're telling me later," he said, shrugging. "Where we going to next?"

Before she could answer, Annabeth walked back into the main room. "Well, Charona here thinks she's tagging along."

"Why can't she?" Percy challenged suddenly, surprising both Grover and the daughter of Athena. "You got your stuff, Charizard?" Thalia gestured to her recently purchased black backpack and Percy nodded approvingly. "Then I don't' see why we aren't leaving now."

"Whatever, _quest leader,_" Annabeth quipped spitefully, walking over to shoulder her pack. "Come on, Grover. Let's head out while Percy helps his _girlfriend _get ready."

Percy began to stand up but Thalia quickly tugged him back down. "I don't know what her problem is," he whispered angrily, watching as the satyr followed the blonde outside. "I'm sorry she's being like this."

Thalia shrugged, faking indifference. The girl she once protected years ago was driving her crazy. Being bossed around by Annabeth was a tough pill to swallow.

"It's all right," she lied, bringing two fingers up to rub her thrumming temple. Percy wasn't as weak as she thought he was. Even if he had less experience than she did in fighting, he hit like a semi truck. "She has reason to be suspicious."

"Why can't we just tell them?" he asked.

"Tell them what?" She raised a brow.

"Who you really are," he replied, leaning towards her in his seat. "What's the big deal? There's not much they can do. They won't turn against you, I promise."

"That's not what I'm afraid of, Jackson," she said. Thalia really didn't want to admit this to him. "Three gods already know I'm alive. I can't risk it."

"I don't get it!" he cried, frowning in frustration. "Why are people after you? Why do they want you dead?"

"The prophecy I mentioned before," she admitted, meeting his gaze. "I've never heard it myself, but I know the gist of it. A child of the Big Three is destined to decide the fate of Olympus, and they can't trust an offspring of Zeus. If I reach my eighteenth birthday, they fear I'll end their existence."

"How do they even know the prophecy is about you?" the son of Poseidon challenged.

"Well, they don't. Not really," she said, standing. She lifted her backpack from the floor and strung it across her shoulders. "I'm not sure if the prophecy specifies. The gods are on guard, anyway. They probably think you're the child of the prophecy."

"And what if I am?"

"Then you are."

At her smirk, he rolled his eyes. "Right then." He walked over to her and outstretched his hand. "I'm sorry about earlier. Are we cool now?"

"We're cool," she affirmed, nodding. Thalia was slightly appalled by her actions. She had never forgiven someone so easily before. The daughter of Zeus shook his offered hand and unintentionally sent a wave of sparks through her palm the moment they connected.

Percy leaped back, yelping. "Gods, Thalia!" he said, and then broke into laughter. "Shocker, much?"

"Sorry," she mumbled, shoving her hands into her pockets. "So, you ready to head out? Don't want Annabeth to accuse us of anything," she teased, adverting her gaze to the exit.

He chuckled. "Of course we wouldn't. Yeah, let's go on out. Oh, and by the way," he added, turning to her and smiling. "I packed you some chips and some other necessities we found in her backroom."

"Thanks." She smiled in response, handing him his backpack. "Let's get out of dodge." They headed towards the exit, and Thalia all of a sudden came to a stop. "Hey, what did you do with Medusa's head?"

"Oh yeah," he recalled, smirking. "I—uh, sent the gods a little present."

* * *

"Nice camping site, kiddo," Thalia commented, toeing a pair of stained underwear away from their camp with her boot. "Who even leaves their underwear lying around in a field?"

"Kids like to party here," Grover supplied, shrugging. "I've seen a lot of weird stuff on the news about this place. Rumor has it, kids bring more drugs and narcotics here than you would find at a rave."

"Whew," Percy gave a low whistle. "That's serious."

"Where'd the blonde go?" the daughter of Zeus asked, falling down onto her bottom. Luckily, the demigods had packed several blankets and a few sleeping bags. Since there were only three sleeping bags, however, Thalia would have to lie out in the open. The three of them currently sat on a large comforter of Annabeth's.

"She went to go get a newspaper or something," Percy answered.

"This late at night?" Thalia's lips twitched. "Rebellious, she is," she mimicked in a voice that sounded similar to Yoda.

Percy rolled his eyes. Grover snorted and said, "What is that, Scooby Doo?"

The two demigods eyed him like he had just said he enjoyed eating toad eyeballs for every meal. "You don't know what Star Wars is?" the daughter of Zeus asked, stunned.

"Dude, do you live under a freaking rock?" Percy backed her up, frowning at his satyr friend.

"Bunch of nerds," Grover muttered under his breath before snuggling into his sleeping bag. Within seconds, he drifted off to sleep. Annabeth came back soon after, handing a soda can to each of the two demigods.

"He's already asleep?" she asked, nodding over to Grover. "Damn. Wish it were that easy for the rest of us."

"Thanks," Thalia said, indicating the Mountain Dew. Annabeth merely nodded, looking to the newspaper she held in her hands.

The daughter of Athena yawned, folding the paper up and tucking it into her backpack. "Hate to bail on you guys, but I'm beat. Someone should keep watch."

"I will," Thalia offered.

"No, that's nonsense. I'll do it," Percy said.

"I said, _I will_," Thalia stressed, gritting her teeth. He was seriously about to argue with her? "Besides, I have to sleep on the blanket, anyway. It'll be easier for me to stay up."

The blonde shrugged. "Whatever," she said. She climbed into her gray sleeping bag and closed her eyes. Percy sighed angrily, upset that his friend Annabeth was still continuing to give Thalia a cold shoulder.

"You want to take my sleeping bag? I can just crash on the blankets," he said, sending the daughter of Zeus a look of concern. "You can still keep watch and have a sleeping bag, if you want."

Thalia flushed red, and she had no idea what had caused her to blush. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately. "I couldn't do that. It doesn't matter. The blanket is plenty comfortable."

"Well we could always, I dunno…share?" he suggested, flashing that cute half-smile of his.

Thalia Grace was a fucking tomato. "Uh, n-no, that won't be necessary. I mean, I would just hog the thing—a-and trust me, when I say hog I'm talking about practically eating the damn thing—"

"Hey—"

"—and what if I have bad morning breath when I wake up and I'm all up in your personal space? That's just rude and I'm not the type of person to just cover you in my nasty breath so I'll just sleep on the blankets tonight. Yeah, that sounds like a slightly better idea—"

"Thalia!"

At her name being called, she stared wildly at Percy. "Don't say my name!"

"Don't ramble!" He laughed, wiping his hair out of his eyes. Percy leaned in closer, setting his hand on her thigh. "And, for the record, your breath doesn't smell bad now."

"Wait until the morning," she nearly whispered in reply.

He chuckled. "Your breath can't be perfect all the time. Neither can your hair," he joked, ruffling her obsidian locks.

She groaned in annoyance, attempting to fix her wild hair. "Thanks a lot," she grumbled. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't help but laugh along with him. Laughter was contagious, after all.

"Oh, your hair looks b—fine," he stuttered over his words, his mouth wide in shock near the end of his statement.

Thalia raised her brows in amusement. She stifled her laughs. "Are you all right there, Jackson? You look like you've just seen a ghost." He blushed, looking to the ground. "Why don't you get some sleep?" she asked with a yawn.

"I don't think I'm the one who needs sleep," he said. "Why don't you just let me take first watch?"

She tilted her head to the side and bit her lip in contemplation. "Hmm," she hummed, considering her options. "I guess you can, if you really want to. But I'm still sleeping on the blanket," she added, before he could do a victory dance.

"Deal," he agreed, a mischievous smile on his face. What was he planning?

"So, before I head off to sleep, I have to know," she said. "Why in the world did you think it would be a good idea to send the head of Medusa to the gods?"

He smiled sheepishly. "It seemed like a cool idea at the time. I don't want anything to do with my father anyway, and he doesn't want anything to do with me. So, I figured, why don't I send him the severed head of his monstrous ex-girlfriend?"

"You are so demented," she laughed aloud, slapping his shoulder. "Why did you send it to all of the gods?"

"Guess I just have a habit of pissing them off," he said.

"I would say so," she snorted. "They're not going to love you for that."

"Wouldn't expect them to, really," he said. "So, where do you think we'll go after this?"

"Where are you guys headed?" she asked, furrowing her brows. They never had brought it up.

"California," he answered, scowling. "The City of Angels. We're going to confront Hades and demand he give the lightning bolt back. Chiron thinks it will help me win your father's favor, too. I hear he kind of hates me right now."

"Hades has the lightning bolt?" There was a shocker. "What makes you so sure?"

"It's the only answer that makes any sense at all," he said, shrugging. "Think about it. How would he benefit from a war between Zeus and Poseidon?"

"In every way imaginable," she muttered, picking at the shards of grass beside the blanket. She felt guilty, to say the least. Hades had told her to hand the lightning bolt over to _him. _Why would he say that if he already had it? Part of her wanted to reveal this information to Percy, but the other part of her reasoned it would make the entire quest pointless. At least right now they had a goal. If there was no point in going to Hades, how in the world would they know where to go from there?

"Why don't you go on to sleep, now? You look really tired," he cut into her thoughts, smiling. "I'll wake you if the mosquitoes turn into giant flesh-eating monsters."

Thalia smirked. "I would hope so." Try as she might, she couldn't hold back her yawn. "I guess I'll go on to sleep. And, Percy?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for taking first watch. I probably would've passed out."

He laughed. "No problem."

* * *

Percy didn't think first watch would be this boring. Apparently, he had assumed wrong. He had started a little fire and was currently prodding it with sticks. The son of Poseidon decided that wasn't such a good idea when the tip of the twig ignited and fire raced towards his hand.

He eyed Thalia, who was sleeping peacefully. Smiling as he swiped a strand of her hair from her eyes, he recalled their earlier conversation. Maybe they could share the sleeping bag. After all, the daughter of Zeus wouldn't find out until the next day. Percy just felt wrong allowing her to sleep out in the open, with nothing to keep her warm.

The sleeping bag was a tight fit, but he had somehow managed to bury them both in, her back to his front. If she really did have horrible morning breath, like she claimed, he didn't really want to wake up face-to-face.

Thalia could probably sleep through an explosion. It had taken him nearly five minutes to get them settled in the sleeping bag, and she hadn't budged. At least he knew she didn't kick in her sleep, which he was grateful for.

The only thing he had to worry about now was fighting off sleep.

His eyes drooped and he heard Grover's voice sounding through the silence of the field. "Go on to sleep, Perce. I got first watch from here."

Not bothering to question the order, he closed his eyes and succumbed to the temptation of sleep.


	14. WakeUp Call

**A/N: Okay, so apparently this story has been nominated for a Phoenix award and I couldn't be more overcome with excitement. The site I've been nominated on is fanmortals .weebly index . html, without the spaces of course. I am not going to ask who nominated me, as it is a pleasure to be nominated by any of my readers. I am merely going to thank you all in general for providing me with an opportunity such as this one. The nomination period ends September 15th, 2012. In specific terms, this Saturday. **

**In case one of you points it out or notices it, not everything in this story is going to be exactly like the novel. How can it be? So, yes. The demigods ride in sleeper cars, despite the fact that they had crashed in chairs in the book. Sorry if some of you wanted it to resemble The Lightning Thief.**

**Disclaimer: I am in no way making a profit from this fanfic, nor am I attempting to pass off the ideas of Rick Riordan as my own. All credit for the characters goes to him.**

_The worst thing about demigod nightmares had to be the underlying reality of them. Mortals had the advantage of conjuring up abnormally irrational dreams, while demigods had some mystical force placing a vision in their brain, and it played before their closed lids like an old-fashioned film. The nightmares were confusing, and more often than not they caused the half-blood to wake up in a cold sweat, their frenzied hearts bashing relentlessly against their chest. _

_ Fortunately, Thalia wasn't having a nightmare. _

_ She wasn't herself; as in, she wasn't in her own body. She was in the form of a tall warrior, clad in glinting armor, a heavy pair of gladiator sandals separating her feet from the frigid stone floor. The demigoddess loathed dreams where she found herself looking through the eyes of another, especially when she didn't know whom in the world she was supposed to be. Although, she could already make the obvious assumption that she was some kind of fighter. Usually, one didn't prance about wearing armor for absolutely no reason at all._

_ "Thalia," a soft voice whispered, calling her attention. _

_If she was someone else, why was her name being spoken? Her eyes searched for the source of the noise and she found herself appalled. A man—well, definitely a god—suddenly stood in front of her, his royal chiton neat and practically glowing in the sunlight. His curly black ringlets of hair fell over his high forehead and framed his ears, and his rough beard billowed over his chin like a curtain. Something about the god reminded her of her father, but there was no way it could be him. Even though gods could take on many appearances, Zeus usually only stuck with one, and he never flashed warms smiles, as the god before her was doing now. _

_The god was tanner than her father and slightly shorter, although not by much. His sparkling green eyes didn't resemble the cobalt blue her father's were, and his lips were thinner. The god looked vaguely familiar to Thalia, but she couldn't think of why. That is, until he grinned even wider, showing off his charming smile lines. Of course, why hadn't she realized it before?_

"_Lord Poseidon," she spoke in awe, her voice quiet as if she was afraid raising her voice even slightly would scare the god away. _

"_Ah, niece," the god of the Sea said, almost wistfully. "So good to finally meet you. I must say, you are significantly less dull than I imagined. When my brother claimed you were a chip off the old block, I fear I took him more literately than I should have. But seeing as you don't appear to be growing any unusual facial hair, I believe I can speak to you as I wish."_

"_Huh?" she asked, dumbly. What did he mean? Why wasn't he gouging her eyes out with shards of glass? Not that she was complaining or anything, but his friendliness was certainly unexpected. _

"_Oh, don't worry," he brushed off with a wave of his hand, "just nonsense about your father. Now, where was I?"_

"_Facial hair?" Thalia tried to help, her face twisting in confusion as she gave a small shrug of her shoulders. _

"_Yes, thank you," he said, nodding. "Straight to business then. What are you intentions with my son Percy?"_

"_M—my intentions?" she questioned. "What do you mean?"_

"_I am aware of your tracking of him," he supplied knowingly, throwing out a sly smile. "Your father never was too careful with his affairs. I swear, Hera has caught him cheating on her more times than Lindsay Lohan has gotten busted for—"_

"_Um, Lord Poseidon?" she interrupted. "As interesting as Lindsay Lohan is, you're killing me with the anticipation."_

"_Right," he laughed. "My apologies. You see, I do enjoy a good conversation." The god cleared his throat pointedly, blinking owlishly before continuing. "My son is a good boy. Great, even. He is in no way affiliated with the theft of Zeus' master bolt nor has he communicated with I." _

"_With all due respect, I know that," she answered, frowning. "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't you be talking to my dad?"_

_His eyes darkened and his face grew grim. The threatening look didn't suit him very well. The scowl looked out-of-place on his previously amused face. "If your father has sent you to harm my son, I wouldn't suggest stepping anywhere near my domain."_

_If there was something Thalia hated more than the uncomfortable sandals she was wearing, it was being accused of something she didn't do. _

"_I wouldn't hurt him even if he asked me to," she said, just as coldly. She knew it wasn't wise to speak to an immortal in such a way, but she found it difficult to refrain from doing so. The demigoddess just hated being judged and she hated that every adult seemed to instantly peg her as the bad guy. She never had the intention of hurting Percy! She couldn't if she tried. He was her friend. _

_Poseidon nodded, internally pleased at the news. "That is all I have to say to you, for now anyway. Tell Percy…never mind," he said, faltering over his words. "Do my boy some good. And please, make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble."_

Thalia sighed in content, snuggling into the warm body behind her. She tried to go back to sleep, but something other than the intrusive sunlight was bothering her. Warm breaths splattered against the back of her neck and she shifted slightly, her face contorting in discomfort. It freaking tickled. She resisted the urge to giggle, because Thalia Grace did _not_ giggle. She bit down on her bottom lip and wiggled around a little, trying to get more comfortable. This action caused the arms around her to tighten and her eyes flickered open.

Wait a minute…arms?

She jumped from the sleeping bag, not even bothering to unzip it. Thalia wound up kicking Percy in the face, but the jerk deserved it. Percy Jackson had been cuddling her. Cuddling. Cuddling _with her_.

Despite being kicked in his bruised jaw, the boy hadn't woken up. Before she could scream and hopefully wake him up, she heard a laugh sound from her right. She turned to see Annabeth, crafting together three lunches and laughing her white ass off.

"What's so funny?" the brunette challenged, setting her hands on her hips.

"Nothing," the blonde dismissed, attempting to stifle the rest of her laughter. "It's just…well, you didn't seem to be complaining five minutes ago."

Thalia flushed red. "Shut up."

"All right, all right," Annabeth surrendered, holding her hands up. "I was just saying. So, what's your poison? Turkey and swiss or pastrami and provolone?" she asked, holding up two sandwiches.

The daughter of Zeus took the second one, stuffing it into a zip-lock bag. She'd save it for later. "Where'd you even get the stuff to make the sandwiches?" she asked, sitting down cross-legged across from the daughter of Athena.

"Went up to town earlier," she answered, shrugging. "Picked up a few things. Grover is out doing something. I'm not sure. He's probably trying to find another form of transportation."

"Oh," the dark-haired girl replied, looking over to the sleeping demigod. "I am so going to kill him when he wakes up." She was, too. She was going to torture him until his throat was dry and he could no longer scream.

Annabeth laughed again, even going as far as to grin at the taller girl. "Sure you are," she chirped disbelievingly. "So, truth," the blonde said, setting her elbows on her knees and supporting her chin with her hands. "Do you have a crush on him, or…?"

Did she? No, no. She shouldn't like him…but _did_ she?

Percy was cute and kind and a million other good things, but that didn't mean she had a crush on him. She could find someone attractive without actually _liking _him or her, couldn't she? Thalia cursed when she felt her cheeks warm and quickly looked away so the shorter girl wouldn't catch it. She did _not _like Percy Jackson. No way, no how. They were friends.

"No," she replied, finally meeting Annabeth's eyes again. "I don't."

The daughter of Athena shrugged, pretending to seem indifferent. "I understand," she sympathized, running a hand through her curly, honey locks. "Denial is the first stage."

"It's not denial," Thalia argued. "It's fact."

"What's fact?" a new voice asked.

The daughter of Zeus instantly tensed, shooting the newly awakened son of Poseidon the most hateful glare she could muster up. "Jackson," she spoke through clenched teeth. "Maybe you can tell me why I woke up with your arms around me and your breath on my neck."

The boy paled, hurrying to his feet. Raising his hands up in defense, he took a few steps back. "Hey, hey," he said, in an attempt to alleviate the situation. "There's no need to castrate me any time soon. You were shivering and I thought I'd share the sleeping bag. I'm sorry, all right?"

Thalia couldn't think of a witty remark so she weakly mimicked his words, sticking her tongue out in an immature manner to add to the childish effect. She knew she probably looked like an idiot, but it got Annabeth to laugh again and that made the embarrassment worth it.

Percy shot her a look of astonishment, completely taken off guard by the action. Recovering from his shock, he stuck his tongue out at her as well and it soon evolved into an all-out toddler war. "Real mature, jerk!"

The daughter of Zeus placed her palms over her ears and loudly chanted, "La la la, I can't hear you!"

"Did you hear that, Annabeth? I think it was the wind," Percy snidely said, looking to the blonde demigoddess for some sort of assistance.

"You can't ignore _me_!"

"You two are the most retarded people I have ever had the misfortune of coming across," the daughter of Athena grumbled, pulling an architecture book from her backpack and beginning to read it, effectively ignoring the bickering teenagers. To the blonde's surprise, the demigods stopped arguing and instead settled into an uncomfortable silence.

_At least she could read her book in peace now, _Thalia thought, a smirk rising to her face.

"Hey!" a voice sounded across the field. Percy and Thalia glanced up, and waved upon seeing their satyr friend charging towards them, a small poodle in his arms. Annabeth didn't bother to look up from her reading.

"This poodle is going to help us get to Denver," Grover explained, smiling at the small dog. When the animal rubbed her head against the satyr's stomach, he scratched between her ears.

"That's a freaking poodle," Thalia stated blankly, not in the mood to put up with any games from the satyr. How was a dog going to take them to Denver? Did he have a spare Lamborghini he could loan them? The daughter of Zeus rolled her eyes when the poodle began to yap at her.

"That freaking _poodle _has feelings, you know," Grover snapped, looking back down to the dog. "It's okay, Gladiola. She didn't mean it." The dog barked. "No, no. Well, at least I've never _seen _her throw puppies into a wood chipper."

"I don't kill puppies!" the dark-haired demigoddess exclaimed, stunned at the notion. "Or throw them in wood chippers."

"Uh, throwing them in wood chippers would be killing them," Percy pointed out, receiving a painful whack to the back of his head. "Hey!"

"What if the poodle has super powers, Flounder? She might be invincible to wood chippers," Thalia proposed. "You ever think of that?"

"That's stupid," the son of Poseidon said, snorting.

"You're stupid," she rebutted.

"Your hair is stupid!"

"Your face is stupid!"

"Your—" Percy began, but was cut off by an agitated Annabeth.

"You're both intolerable. Now, for the love of Athena, shut up and listen to what the poodle has to say," she said, her voice laced in annoyance. She turned back to her novel. Reluctantly, the two petulant demigods turned to the small dog and waited for Grover to translate its nonsensical barks.

* * *

Not even an hour later, they were boarding an Amtrak train to Denver, Colorado. Thalia was seated in a sleeper car with Annabeth, and Grover with Percy. The lack of conversation was driving the daughter of Zeus crazy. Every time she attempted to bring up a topic, the irritated daughter of Athena wouldn't even bother to look up from her freaking book. The brunette couldn't possibly make it through two full days with no talking.

"Annabeth," she said, turning slightly in her seat to face the demigoddess. "What are you reading?"

"Right now?" at the other girl's nod, Annabeth scowled. "A book on architecture. However, if you continue to disturb me, I'll be reading your obituary in no time."

"Sassy," Thalia quipped, turning forward in her seat again. She tired to stay quiet; she really did. But staying silent has never really been a hobby of hers and she was talking again within seconds of getting rejected. "You know what's a funny word? Obituary."

Annabeth face-palmed, but didn't reply.

"Say it again," the daughter of Zeus commanded. "This time, say it in a German accent."

"Charona…" the daughter of Athena trailed off, the implied warning obvious in her tone.

"Oh, come on! German accents are cool," the taller girl continued to urge, causing the blonde to grit her teeth in frustration.

The blonde demigoddess sprung from her seat and exited the car, leaving the slide door wide open. Thalia rolled her eyes, but bit back the angry remark. Would it kill the girl to just talk to her for two seconds? Was she not deemed worthy of the almighty Annabeth's attention?

Her gaze flickered to the door when she sensed someone entering. It was Percy. She smirked, watching as he sat down directly beside her on the small couch seat and smiled at her. "You should hear the things Annabeth is saying about you," he said, chuckling. "She practically forced me to switch with her. Although she really didn't have to," he assured. "I like you better than Grover, anyway."

Thalia laughed. "Gee, thanks," she said. "You like me more than a satyr. I'm honored, really."

"I can tell," he joked, placing his arms along the top of the seat. "Two days, huh? That's too long to be on a train."

"I know," she agreed. "I can't sit still for long. You want to get some food soon?"

"Uh, yeah, sure," he replied, grinning. "I hear they're preparing lunch now. All they have in there is breakfast food right now."

"Breakfast food is good," she said. "Percy, you have to learn. I eat more than a starving elephant does after smoking a million joints."

"I didn't know they allowed the animals in zoos to get high," he remarked playfully. "I was under the impression they put an end to that in the sixties."

"Nah," she said. "That's just what they tell the media."

"Of course," he jibed. "How silly of me."

"It's okay. You've learned your lesson."

They sat in silence then, neither of them really knowing what to say next. They hadn't talked since their earlier argument and the last thing Percy wanted to do was get into another one. It wasn't like his usual bickering with Annabeth. As much as his fights with Thalia amused him, he couldn't help but feel like he should beg for forgiveness after offending her.

He'd catch himself watching her a lot, ever since she had shown up at Medusa's store. The son of Poseidon feared that if she might happen to catch him, she would grow suspicious. But, as his eyes ventured across the features of her face, he couldn't bring himself to care. She wasn't like most girls he had met. Sure, she had the obvious…well, _girly _parts, but there was something that made her different. Whether it was her cropped hair or her hero complex, he didn't know. But he knew there was _something_. Maybe one day he'd be fortunate enough to discover what it was.

"You ever hear many old sayings?" the demigoddess suddenly asked, glancing out the wide window of the train. The question caught Percy completely off guard and he hesitated to reply. "Like adages or proverbs," Thalia clarified.

"Yeah," the dark-haired boy responded, silently cursing the way his voice cracked. "Uh, yeah," he repeated himself, purposely lowering his voice to compensate for his earlier slip-up.

"My mom," she started, reluctantly. Percy realized it was the first time she had ever openly mentioned the mysterious woman. "She was real crazy about 'em. The woman always had one up her sleeve." Thalia laughed, as if recalling something from memory.

"Really?" the demigod asked, interested. "What were some of her favorites?"

"One time, when I was only about five, my babysitter gave me a huge bag of candy even though my mother specifically told her that I was not to be given sugar," she remembered, flashing a minuscule smile. "Anyway, I got a sugar rush, of course, and I was bouncing all over the house. We were still cleaning up the mess for a week."

Percy grinned. "And I'm sensing there was a phrase involved?"

The daughter of Zeus nodded. "Oh, yeah," she said. "_Thalia, baby, a rolling stone gathers no moss._" While repeating her mother's words her voice had dropped a decibel and sounded slightly huskier. "It sort of applied to the situation, I guess, but it wasn't completely relevant."

"I've never even heard that," he commented honestly. "How many did she know?"

"Gods, she must've known thousands," the girl replied, not directly answering the question. "She collected them from everywhere. Movies, poems, books, songs, and just anything else she could get her hands on."

"She sounds like a cool mom," Percy said, smiling. His spirits dropped when he saw her face harden. She had finally revealed something about her past to him, and he had ruined it. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "It's not my place to say something like that."

She smiled. "It's not your place? Percy, you weren't being intrusive. I was just thinking about something."

"Oh," he let out a relieved breath of air.

* * *

Thalia wasn't sure how much time had passed, but the train had stopped in a station in St. Louis, Missouri. It would be three hours before the train departed again, so the teens had hurriedly left through the nearest exit and debated where to venture first.

"We have to see the Gateway Arch," Annabeth announced, her tone implying that no one else had a choice in it.

Percy looked to Thalia, as if wanting her to object. "Sure, why not?" the raven-haired punk agreed, smirking at the son of Poseidon's disgruntled expression.

"Great!"

"Thanks a lot," the demigod muttered to Thalia when the others were no longer able to hear him.

"Anything for a friend."

The tour of the humungous memorial bored the daughter of Zeus from the beginning. Annabeth seemed to be pulling made-up facts out of her ass, even though chances were they were completely accurate and true. Percy and Grover had eaten most of the jellybeans, and got the bright idea to chunk them at security guards. Luckily, they all ran fast enough to avoid being caught.

It was when they were nearing the end of their tour that Thalia began to really regret tagging along. For one, the elevator they had to cram into was occupied by an obese woman and her dog, which made it a very uncomfortable position for them to be in. And, two, they were suspended roughly 600 feet from the ground and heights wigged her out. After making begrudging small talk with the lady in the elevator, they all piled out when they hit the top floor.

If the demigods had thought the arch itself was impressive, the observation deck was magnificent. Thalia still couldn't shake off her fear. Even though they were confined behind seemingly sturdy walls, it didn't alleviate her worries of free falling to her demise.

Before too much time had passed, the appointed guard announced that the observation deck was closing. Annabeth and Grover were the first in the elevator, soon followed by two others. Percy and Thalia made a move to enter the elevator but were stopped by a guard.

"Next car, kids," the man spoke, alerting them of how full the elevator was already.

"We'll wait with you two," Annabeth suggested, but Percy quickly assured her that it wouldn't be necessary.

Percy and Thalia found themselves alone with a family, a guard, and the fat lady. The son of Poseidon uneasily smiled at the lady and the demigoddess did a double take at the scene. She could've sworn she just saw a forked tongue slip between the woman's lips.

The boy tugged on the sleeve of her brown leather jacket and whispered, "Did you just see what I saw?"

Before Thalia could reply to his question, the lady's Chihuahua dropped from her grasp and began to bark at the teenagers. "Now Sonny," the lady lectured, her voice raspy and creepy. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."

"Doggie!" cried a little boy, from the family of three. "Look, a doggie!"

His parents pulled him back and sheltered him slightly with their bodies, which was a smart decision on their part. Thalia considered tossing Percy out in front of her but then she remembered that she wasn't some worthless damsel and she could fight off a small dog any day. She had intimidated that poodle, after all. She got it to bark at her and everything.

The frenzied dog persisted, baring his gnarly teeth, foam billowing from his charcoal lips. "Well, son," the obese woman sighed. "If you insist."

"Did you just call that freaking Chihuahua your son?" Thalia asked, incredulously. "That's a _dog, _lady. Humans don't typically birth animals."

"Chimera, actually," chubby corrected. "It's an easy mistake to make. And I never did claim to be human, dear."

The woman rolled up her denim sleeves, leaving green, scaly skin in her wake. She smiled, her fangs glinting in the light and her eyes narrowing into slits, like those of a serpent. The demigods astonishingly observed as the once small animal transformed into a venomous creature right before their eyes. The mortals were thrown into a panic, as they struggled to find another exit. The monster was tall enough to where its furry back connected with the roof. With the head of a lion, body of a goat, and serpent for a tail, it was enough to make the usually fearless daughter of Zeus want to faint.

The fat snake lady cackled. "Be honored, demigods. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my own brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

Thalia furrowed her eyebrows. She couldn't have heard that right. Her father sent Mexican food after them? "Um, is that pronounced Enchiladas, ma'am?"

Percy frowned, shaking his head. "No, no. She said _Echidna_. Which I am one-hundred percent positive is an anteater."

The color of the monster's face began to alternate between brown and green and she roared. _Home girl needs a breath mint, _Thalia thought, visibly cringing from the smell. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, demigods, my son will destroy you!"

"What was he destroying us for before?" the daughter of Zeus asked, bewildered. "What did we do, steal his chew toy?"

"Thalia," Percy whispered threateningly. "Shut up before _we _compensate for his loss and become his new chew toys."

The Chimera charged for Thalia first, and she only narrowly managed to avoid its bite. She stood in front of the family and park ranger, who were attempting to pull open the emergency exit door. So much for a safe and effective escape. Percy rushed over to her side and she tried to signal him away.

She didn't need him to wind up dead, too.

The daughter of Zeus pulled her ballpoint pen from her pocket and uncapped it, taking special pride in her Imperial gold sword when Echidna's slanted pupils dilated in surprise. Percy, taking notice of her similar weapon, uncapped Riptide.

"I'll provide a distraction," Thalia murmured. "It's what I'm best at. You try and sneak around to the tail. Chop off the head of the snake without it seeing you, if you can."

He nodded. "I'm on it."

Thalia sprinted to the other side of the deck and felt like peeing her pants when the Chimera doubled her speed. Before she was able to swing her sword, the lion's mouth opened and she found her nostrils assaulted by its horrible road kill breath. Why couldn't monsters just carry tic-tacs around? Was it so much to ask?

A column of flame barreled out of its throat and toward the demigoddess. Not able to dive to either side, she settled for leaping through the explosion. The fire had blown a ragged hole through the side of the observation deck. The carpet floors ignited and Thalia braced herself for the burning sensations that were sure to travel through her willowy body.

But she felt little to no burning at all. When the hell had she become the Human Torch?

"Impossible!" Echidna cried. "How are you still standing, demigod?"

Thalia shrugged. "Gee, don't know. But, hey, I'm not complaining."

The obese monster narrowed her eyes before gasping. "Your garments!"

"What?" the brunette, looking down at her attire. "Is it too flashy or something?"

"The skin of a drakon is only worn by a true warrior," Echidna said. "Who has given you the scales of the mighty drakon Python?"

"Uh," the brunette started, "what scales are you talking about? I don't have any scales."

"Your jacket," the monster clarified, her eyes slimming dangerously. "Daughter of Apollo, I presume?"

Thalia glanced down at the jacket, so see that it was now glowing a bright bronze. She groaned to herself. Bronze _so _wasn't her color. Without giving her time to answer the anteater, the Chimera spun back around to face her. Reacting blindly, the daughter of Zeus slashed out with her sword, cutting off the monster's bulky collar. It wasn't exactly what she had intended to do, so she regretted her mistake of attacking.

The snake of a tail swung towards her and before she could register what was happening and possibly leap out of the way, its venomous fangs sank into the scar in her brow, reopening the wound that had been closed nearly sixteen years before. The demigoddess hated the way she reacted to the bite. She screamed, falling down onto her knees and gripping her thudding skull. Blood dripped down her face and she prayed the poison wouldn't travel through her veins or to her brain.

"Thalia!"

The son of Poseidon charged the monster with a terrifying cry, swinging his sword down as he vaulted into the air. The daughter of Zeus expected the move to be effective, but her hopes crumbled when he was carelessly swept aside with a wave of the beast's paw and his sword tumbled into the hole in the Arch.

"Grab it, Thalia!" he ordered, watching in fear as the sword began to slip off of the observation deck.

The brunette reached out, her hands brushing across the hilt of the sword. But she hadn't caught it. She leaned to reach out further and that had been her most dreadful mistake. Thalia slipped from the deck and yelled as she fell through the brisk air. On the bright side, she managed to catch the sword.


	15. Vertigo

**A/N: I apologize for the wait, but it's here now. Feedback will always be encouraged and appreciated, and I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

**Disclaimer: I'm getting sick of typing this for every chapter. Not one person on Fanfiction believes I am secretly Rick Riordan. Of course, I'd take it as a compliment if they did. Anyway, straight to the point. I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians. **

The daughter of Zeus screamed for all her weakened lungs were worth, which wasn't much. Even though she knew she was probably traveling faster than a speeding bullet, the world around her seemed to be going in slow motion. To make matters worse, she felt like her vision was being split in half and was forced to close her eyes. Thalia wouldn't know when she would hit the ground until she did. There was one thing left she could do, and it wasn't something she typically did willingly.

_Yo, big guy, _she prayed untraditionally, _think you can maybe make a parachute appear?_

As expected, her wish wasn't granted. She tried not to feel disappointed. Her father was busy doing his whole King of the Gods thing. He didn't have time for unimportant events in her life, namely her untimely death.

Intrigued mortals stood below her, shielding their eyes to get a glimpse of the tumbling teenager. She would probably find it in herself to roll her eyes if she could actually open them. Thalia wondered when her life would flash across the forefront of her mind. Did that really ever happen?

_Spread your wings, Daughter of the Sky! And soar!_

She recognized the speedy voice and hurried to do as it advised…before she realized she didn't have wings. Oh, well. Arms couldn't be too different, could they? Thalia spread her arms out to her sides, and intently listened to the next list of instruction.

_The air is your nature, master. Fly! Fly!_

Yeah, easier said than done, stupid bird. How was she supposed to freaking fly? She wasn't a plane. The extent of her usage of air had been when she managed to extinguish the fire at Montauk. Going against her usual judgment, she concentrated on the air around her. It couldn't be too different than manipulating storms. She just had to focus.

Thalia imagined tornadoes spinning across the land, winds smoothly shifting direction, and she even envisioned the dreadful Dust Bowl. Anything and everything that related to air, she thought of it. To her satisfaction, the tense knot in her stomach formed. To her dissatisfaction, it hurt like hell. Despite the pain, she silently rejoiced when she felt herself stopping completely. Not wanting to risk opening her eyes, she spoke to the bird.

"Well?" she asked, waiting for a reply.

_Open your eyes, Princess Thalia. _

Thalia Grace wasn't a freaking princess. Well, technically she was. But she refused to acknowledge that fact.

_Open. _

_ Fine, _she snapped back bitterly in her mind. Her eyes fluttered open, her blue irises dancing wildly while taking in the sight below her. She was literately a foot from dropping into the water, but…she was floating in midair. Percy's sword was in her hands. A little boy pointed at her and released a gasp, telling his mother that there was a strange, frozen bird girl.

Of course, the woman didn't pay her son any attention.

And she didn't even look like a bird. At least…she hoped she didn't.

A sudden burst of agonizing pain in her brow reminded her of her bite wound from the Chimera. She avoided splattering against the surface of the Mississippi River only to die from poison. How lucky was she? She flailed her arms, wondering how in the world she was going to get to land. Thalia didn't want to risk falling into her uncle's domain. Even though he seemed relatively friendly in her dream, she knew gods were as shifty as they come. He could change his mind about sparing her in a second.

"What now?" she practically croaked, the venom causing her vision to blur and her breathing to slow. It was killing her faster than she thought possible. Then again, it had been almost directly inserted into her brain via snake fangs.

_I do not know, _Cherub responded, circling around her head. _What has bitten you?_

"No big deal," she said, trying to brush the situation off. It's not like a bird would know the cure to Chimera poison.

_Sounds like a big deal, _the bird disagreed. _Not trying to offend you, Lord, but you sound like Barry Manilow. _

If she could form more than three words at a time, she probably would've started singing Copa Cabana. Or knocked him in his beak. However, she was unable to do either. "I don't suppose you have any antibiotic ointment or maybe a spare band-aid?"

Ah, there it is. She managed to formulate a full question.

_I'm a bird, Lord. _The creature responded, cawing. _I am not familiar with such human terms._

"Great," she said. "Thanks a lot."

_Just trying to help._

"Father," she pleaded, closing her eyes tightly. "Please…just do something. I know you've spared my life before, but I don't want to die this way."

"It certainly lacks poetry," a thoughtful voice commented from behind her. She swiveled her head around and nearly gasped. Zeus flashed a tiny smile at her confusion before he snapped his tan fingers. Somehow, she had appeared before him, safely on the ground.

"D—Dad?" she asked, bewildered, and nearly toppled over. The God of the Sky caught her quickly, bracing his hands on her shoulders.

"Hello, daughter," he greeted. "I should probably take care of that," he chuckled lowly, gesturing to the snakebite. With a wave of his hand, a cool breeze caressed her brow. "Ah, there we go. All healed."

Thalia resisted the urge to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. She could have just healed herself using the air? "Wow."

"Impressed?" he inquired, raising a brow. "I am aware you have recently discovered your abilities over the air and have decided to…drop by."

"Because you heard that I controlled air?"

"That was part of it. There's another reason as well," he admitted. Zeus cleared his throat. "I did not expect you to be traveling _with _Percy Jackson."

Thalia felt her jaw drop. Boy, was she in trouble. "Percy!" she called out suddenly. "He's still up there with the Chimera. I have to—"

"He has slain the monster," the god assured, fixing her with a stern look of disapproval. _Uh-oh. _"When I asked you to return my master bolt, I wasn't asking you to befriend the son of Poseidon and take a vacation."

"Percy doesn't have the bolt," she argued. Thalia stood toe-to-toe with her tall father and held her head up challengingly. "The demigods think Lord Hades has it."

"Hades?" he cried, incredulous. "My gods. Why would _Hades _have it?"

Thalia shrugged. "I don't know. That's just what Annabeth believes."

"Annabeth?" He raised a brow. "The young demigod you led to camp when you were just a little thing?"

"Yes," she grumbled. "And I wasn't little. I was twelve."

Zeus glanced to his domain, the crinkles around his eyes becoming prominent when he squinted. "Poseidon has taken my master bolt. Even if his son did not commit the crime, the boy has access to it. If he does not return it by the Summer Solstice, there will be dire consequences."

"Like sending the Chimera after him wasn't enough?" she snarled, her angered expression identical to her father's. "I d0n't know what you or Athena want from me, but—"

"Athena?" He looked worried. "You have seen Athena? She knows of you?"

"Well, yeah," Thalia said, the anger washing from her face only to be replaced by confusion. "You didn't tell her? She acted like you sent her."

"What did she want from you?" he demanded, his icy eyes narrowing.

Could she trust him? He had sent a monster after them, hadn't he? What if he wasn't really on her side? What if he just wanted to catch her off guard and kill her, too?

"You don't think I care about you?" Zeus yelled, catching the attention of everyone around them. Thalia swallowed thickly, looking around uncomfortably. When his question went unanswered, his face grew impossibly redder. "I don't have time for this," he growled, turning away from her. "You have complete control of my domain; never forget that. And, do yourself a favor. Stay away from Percy Jackson."

Her eyes began to water and she furiously scrubbed her face with the hem of her shirt. Thalia watched as her father shimmered and disappeared with a gust of wind.

_Do not despair, _Cherub spoke. Even though he had long flown away, she could hear his words echoing through her head. _Check your pockets._

She rummaged through the pockets of her jacket and her hands came up with rolls of twenty-dollar bills. Had her father placed them? She shook her head. That wasn't what mattered right now. She had to get to Percy and make sure all of her companions were all right. The brunette would worry about her father later.

"Charona!" a voice called. Thalia turned to face the speaker, only to find Annabeth and Grover running towards her. "Where's Percy? Are you okay? Why are you down here? Oh my Gods, did you _fall_?"

"Annabeth!" Grover interrupted. "Calm down. One question at a time." He turned to face the brunette. "Where's Percy?"

"Right here," the boy in question said, suddenly sprinting up to them. He finally looked up from his sneakers and his sea green eyes widened. "Th—Charona! I thought you were dead!"

Annabeth and their satyr friend didn't miss his slip up.

"Nope," the daughter of Zeus said. "I'm more alive than Paris Hilton on a three day bender in Mexico." Remembering that she held his sword in her hands, she quickly deactivated it and returned it to him.

"What's a bender?" the child of Athena asked. The blonde looked to Grover. "Do you know what a bender is?"

"How are you alive?" Percy asked, astonished.

Thalia leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Daughter of Zeus thing."

"Hey, hey!" the satyr interrupted, pretending to be angry. "No secrets here."

The son of Poseidon chuckled. "No secrets."

The sound of sirens shook them all out of their thoughts and they froze when police cars parked in front of the arch and helicopters sounded above them. Before they could run away fast enough, reporters had already snapped photographs of them. They quad hurriedly ran away from the Arch, hoping to get to the train station in time for the train's departure.

The demigods and satyr quickly headed into their respective sleeping cars upon boarding the vehicle. Thalia watched as Percy sat down on the bench seat before she shut the sliding door and took a seat next to him.

"Oh!" Percy cried suddenly. The demigoddess flashed him a look of confusion, silently begging him to elaborate. A smile lit up her face when he pulled an elegant pocket watch from his pocket. "I believe this belongs to you," he said, grinning.

"Thunderbird," she sighed appreciatively. "Thank you so much, Jackson. I was afraid I'd lost her."

"Her? You are _way_ too attached to this sword," he joked, lowly whistling. "Hey, speaking of swords, where'd you get that one in your pocket? It looks just like mine." Percy pulled out a ballpoint pen and handed it to her.

"Wow," she remarked, handing it back to him. "A god gave me mine. As a sort of replacement for my baby."

"Seriously, personification is quite creepy in this situation," he asserted once again. "But, that's cool. My sword is named Riptide, or—"

"Anaklusmos. The tide that takes them by surprise," she finished for him. At his look of bewilderment, she rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on. Just because I don't go to camp, doesn't mean I can't speak Greek."

"Here's a thought," he said. "If you never went to camp, how can you speak Greek and sword fight?"

"Natural instincts, stupid," she scoffed, tucking her trusty pocket watch into her jacket. Even though she hated the color of the garment, it had proven its use to her and she decided that she was fine with wearing it. "How does an infant know to breathe?"

"I guess you have a point there."

Thalia heaved a tired sigh. She was hungry as hell. Weeks without a shower and an empty stomach did not make for a happy camper. Feeling self-conscious, she discreetly sniffed her shirt. If she hadn't have stolen a few outfits, she would probably have smelt ten times worse than she already did. The brunette stood and grabbed her bag.

"I need to change," she announced. Percy gasped, staring at her in shock. "Oh, calm down. I didn't mean in here. I'm going to find a bathroom."

The boy breathed a sigh of relief and she exited the small car. It had only taken her a few minutes to find an unoccupied bathroom, and when she did, she locked the door and immediately begun to undress. She really should have thought to bring some deodorant or something. This was starting to become disgusting.

Thalia had been forced to go without showers in her life before, but it had never been _this _bad. At least, she hoped it hadn't. Even when she had been on the run with Luke and Annabeth, they had always stopped every mile or so to bathe; although it had usually been in rivers, creeks, lakes, or ponds, it got the job done.

The daughter of Zeus dug a pair of worn blue jeans from her bag, only to realize they were capris. She groaned to herself, eyeing the clothing begrudgingly. She had nothing against the pants; she just didn't think she looked good in them. There should be a height limit for capris.

Shrugging, she slipped into them. What could it hurt? They were going to Los Angeles, not the North Pole. Thalia pulled a Guns 'N Roses shirt over her head and ruffled her short hair. Eyeing herself in the mirror, she visibly winced. Her hair gave a new definition to the word greasy.

After hurriedly washing her black ringlets with cheap hand soap and rinsing out the suds, she hefted her bag over a shoulder and made her way back to the sleeper car. It was pretty pathetic that she had washed her hair in the bathroom of a train with soap, but she was at the point that she no longer cared what means were necessary to obtain a presentable image.

"Why is your hair wet?" the son of Poseidon asked when she sat down next to him. "Gods, is there a shower?" He stood up quickly. "You've been holding out on me, haven't you? You tricky little..."

"Uh, no," she assured, refusing to meet his gaze. "No shower. I just, uh, wet my hair," she lied. Who would want to admit to what she did? Her hair was really starting to bother her, though. She knew she'd pay for it when her curly locks dried. Without any conditioner, or gel, it would be a mess.

"Oh," he said, sitting back down. "Give my hopes up, why don't you?"

"Sorry about that," she replied half-heartedly, turning her attention to the window. Soon, they'd be nearing Kansas. She ordered her stomach to stop rumbling, promising herself they'd eat dinner as soon as they entered the state.

* * *

Neither Percy nor Thalia had ever Iris-messaged anyone, so they volunteered themselves to search the town for some place cheap to eat dinner. They had arrived in the city of Denver earlier that morning and Annabeth suggested they get in contact with the camp and inform Chiron of their progress. Thankfully, the daughter of Athena had vowed not to speak of Thalia's assistance.

"What about that burger diner over there?" Percy suggested, pointing to the small restaurant.

Thalia fucking _loved _cheeseburgers. "Oh, hell yeah. It's on me."

"You have cash?" he asked suspiciously.

"Uh…yes?"

"Where'd you get it?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

Thalia grimaced. Gods, he was nosier than Hera. One thing that grated her nerves more than anything else was nosy people. Normally, Percy wasn't so intrusive. And, he probably had a right to squeeze information out of her. The daughter of Zeus sighed, answering, "My father gave it to me. I don't really question it."

His green eyes softened and he smiled. "Oh. For a second, I thought you were into some kind of illegal stuff. I was just kidding around about zoo animals smoking marijuana."

"I would hope so," she laughed.

Before anything else could be said, a loud, shrill call sounded from behind them. The demigods swiveled their heads to view the new threat, and Thalia felt her heart creep into her throat. A strange serpent-like creature, with two heads on either end of it, struck out at them. She had never heard a snake squeal before, but this one did a good job of it.

Thalia had enough snake encounters to last her a few years. The daughter of Zeus dug Thunderbird from her jacket and unsheathed it in order to slice off the leading head. She was successful in her attack and watched as it toppled to the ground.

Fortunately, it was a relatively tiny monster, at least as far as mythological creatures usually go. A nine-feet-long serpent was nothing compared to the Chimera they had recently faced. Percy stomped on its other head before the beast could recoil and twisted the heel of his foot, smearing blood onto the gravel.

The demigods watched on in disgust as the animal continued to writhe, its movements crazed.

"What in Hades was that?" the son of Poseidon panted. "What's with all the snakes?" He looked to her. "Are you, like, a snake magnet?"

"The Amphisbaena," she stated, wiping the palms of her hands on the jean-clad thighs. "Two headed Libyan serpent. I didn't even know that existed. I mean, I've heard of two-headed snakes and all, but I thought the original was just a wise tale."

"Apparently not," Percy said, taking his foot off of the severed head and furiously scrubbing the bottom of his shoe against the road.

"That's not going to work," Thalia informed. "The blood of the Amphisbaena is said to be highly adhesive. It sticks to the person it marks and never washes away."

"What?" he cried. Percy's expression was hilarious and Thalia couldn't help but laugh at him.

"Just kidding," she admitted. "I have no idea what it does. Hope you get it off." The demigoddess patted her companion on the back and began to walk back to the car-wash station. She figured Annabeth and Grover would be finished by then.

The dark-haired half bloods found themselves back at the car wash, and Annabeth approached them with a frown on her face. "Luke answered the call," she stated, sighing regretfully. "He was holding something back from us, I know it. There's something wrong going on at camp."

"Something wrong going on at camp?" Percy asked.

"Yeah. I don't know what it is, of course, but I know something has to be wrong. Luke doesn't just lie for any reason."

Yeah, right. If he didn't lie, that wasn't the Luke Thalia knew.

"He's a son of Hermes," the son of Poseidon argued. "That's in the handbook. Right under 'Don't trust Dionysus with the grapes', in big, bold letters, it says: Never believe a child of Hermes."

Annabeth growled in frustration. "Whatever, Seaweed Brain," she snapped, hurrying out of the parking lot and onto the street. "Did you guys ever find a place to eat? We'll talk about this over dinner."

"Someone's cranky," Thalia joked, watching as the daughter of Athena got further and further away.

"Annie's just mad that Luke doesn't trust her enough to tell her what's going on," Grover explained, waving a hand dismissively. "She'll be fine."

_I hope so, _Thalia thought wryly, remembering whenever the girl had been angry as a seven-year-old. The girl's tantrums were horrific then, and they would surely be horrific now.

Reluctantly, the demigods and satyr followed the angered blonde down the road. Thalia was _not _looking forward to dinner with an enraged Annabeth Chase.


	16. The Girl of a Million Questions

**A/N: Didn't take too long to get this one up, did I? Surprise, surprise. Anyway, here's the next chapter. Look forward to some serious controversy. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the brand Winston, Coke, Pepsi, any other brand of anything, or Percy Jackson. **

* * *

"God save the queen," Thalia sang to herself. "She ain't no human being."

"Do you _ever _shut up?" Annabeth snapped, nearly tipping her glass of soda over. "Seriously, you've been singing the choruses of random songs for nearly ten minutes now."

Percy was impressed the daughter of Athena had enough courage to insult the brunette demigoddess. Thalia wasn't someone any sane human being wanted to mess with. Whether it was due to her outfit—consisting primarily of leather and dark colors (even though she was currently wearing a pair of summer denim capris and a sleeveless Guns 'N' Roses shirt)—or her intense blue stare, she intimidated others. Power radiated from her with every bat of a dark eyelash.

Thalia was…intriguing, to say the least. Even though people of her appearance were typically predictable, she always managed to surprise. There was an air of mystery about her, though, that Percy didn't trust. It's not that she was necessarily _shady_, although she wasn't famous for revealing parts of her secretive past.

There was a lot he didn't know about her, and it bothered him. He wouldn't push her, of course, but the biggest part of his curiosity was hung up over the fact that there were people after her blood. She vaguely explained reasons to him before, but none of it seemed to add up. She _could _be the child of a super-worrisome prophecy. He got that. But, if he were supposedly applicable to the same prophecy, wouldn't immortals be after him as well?

Why her? What made her so special? What made her different? What made the gods want to destroy her?

To his surprise, the usually temperamental punk calmly regarded the smaller, younger girl. Ever so slowly, a wolfish smirk stretched onto her lips, causing the demigoddess across from her to fidget uncomfortably in the booth. When Percy could have sworn Thalia would fire back with a venomous jibe, the crooked smile fell from her face.

"I'm a fan of music," she retorted, not in the least bit defensive of her habit.

Suddenly, the brightest idea came to Percy's mind. "Songbird," the son of Poseidon announced, grinning. "Guess who has a new nickname?" he chimed jokingly.

"Great."

"Glad you're enthusiastic," Grover said, laughing.

Annabeth sat her arms on the table, narrowing her eyes at the daughter of Zeus. "How are we going to pay for this? In case you guys haven't noticed, we've pretty much blown all of our money."

"Don't put your elbows on the table," Thalia lectured. She dug a couple of bills from her pocket and sat them on the table. "And, this is how," she answered.

The daughter of Athena snickered. "I guess there is use for you, after all."

Percy could tell the brunette was resisting the powerful urge to snap. Her fists were clenched by her sides and her brow twitched a few times. It was actually quite…cute.

The son of Poseidon shook off his thoughts. Now was _not _the time to be finding Thalia cute, even though she was pretty much always attractive. Percy cursed his mind and preoccupied himself with tracing the table with his finger.

"You just have all this free time on your hands?" Annabeth challenged, raising her blond brows.

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked, biting her lip in a worrisome matter. _Man, she has nice lips. _Percy paled, forcing himself to refrain from punching himself in the face. _Get it together! _Teenage hormones sucked.

"You can just up and decide to go on a quest."

"Well…it was better than where I was before," the daughter of Zeus admitted. The Underworld had been dreadful. Her mind flashed briefly to Sally. Would she be all right? She'd bet her money on it. Hades would keep a potential bargaining piece alive. "And, I'm out of school, so…"

"School?" the blonde said. "What school did you go to?"

"I've been to a lot of schools." Thalia laughed, almost huskily. "Take your pick."

"The most recent." Annabeth rolled her eyes.

"Yancy," she replied, winking at Percy. He felt his face flush. "With Percy."

"He's mentioned you."

"Annabeth!" Percy cried, sending her a hateful look. She raised her hands defensively, but she looked more amused than frightened. "What the hell, man? You're making me sound like some kind of stalker." He looked to Thalia. "I mentioned you a few times, yes, but it wasn't in a creepy way."

The daughter of Zeus laughed again, reaching up to swipe her bangs from her forehead. "Chill, Kelp Head. I didn't take it that way."

"Oh," he responded stupidly, looking to the table.

Since she was sitting right next to him, the dark-haired demigoddess was able to nudge him playfully. She didn't say anything, but the gesture was enough to make Percy smile. When yet another obsidian curl fell into her eyes, Thalia attempted to blow it away.

Annabeth laughed loudly, which Percy assumed was due to the funny face the other girl was making. The daughter of Athena stopped chuckling abruptly, and glanced at the other girl in confusion. "Are you okay?" she asked, furrowing her light eyebrows. "Your hands are shaking."

"Oh, uh," the daughter of Zeus said. "I'll be outside," she dismissed herself, standing up. Percy reached out and poked her, causing the brunette to face him. He wondered where she was going. His expression must have clearly displayed his curiosity, because she leaned down to whisper in his ear.

"Smoke," she said simply, before spinning around and heading out of the diner.

He was seriously beginning to think Thalia was an addict. Percy shrugged to himself before turning to watch her go.

"Hey, guys," Grover said, pointing out the large window. "Who's _that _dude?"

* * *

As soon as she stepped outside of the restaurant, Thalia headed over to the side of the building. She wouldn't dream of smoking out in front, while pedestrians watched on. She wasn't completely trashy. Besides, a cop would surely walk up to her and attempt to confiscate them. It had happened before. Usually, people assumed she was of age, due to her height; however, once in a blue moon, someone would look past her height and believe her to be underage.

Digging the pack of Winstons from her jacket pocket, she promptly pulled a cigarette from the nearly empty carton. She really needed to kick the habit. It was costing her loads of cash, and her father had shortened her allowance remarkably when he discovered her addiction.

A loud motorcycle sounded from the front of the diner and Thalia rolled her eyes. Bikers thought they could do as they pleased just because they rocked leather and had their own little gang. Whoever the newcomer was, she would gladly rip him a new one.

It was slightly hypocritical of her—she knew—but she didn't wear leather to appear threatening. Leather was more than assistance to a false bravado. She was punk. It was her style, for one. And two, leather had always comforted her. Every time father used to visit, when she was just a young child, he had always been wearing a smooth, leather coat over his business suits. She couldn't count how many nights she had snuggled into his jacket as a babe, finding sleep in its warmth.

His visits didn't last for long, of course. They never had.

Thalia lit her cigarette, suddenly feeling the urge to shake the reminiscent thoughts from her muddled brain. Despite her wishes, her mind once again drifted off to an old memory. She recalled the first time she had ever smoked. It seemed as if it were just yesterday, even though it was nearly ten years ago.

Thalia had just turned eight. Jason was crying and crying and crying and he just wouldn't _stop. _She had seen her mother smoke whenever she got stressed. Monkey see, monkey do. The daughter of Zeus had snuck into her mother's room that night, to raid her nightstand. She quickly ran back out of the room, clutching a fresh carton of cancer sticks in her young hands.

The addiction wasn't spurred the first time she smoked. She _hated _the way it invaded her lungs, cursing her every breath and sending her into a coughing rampage. It wasn't until she met Luke that she adapted a dependence on the cruel nicotine-riddled substance.

Luke Castellan. The one guy she had ever been able to count on. She missed him, even more so now. He would know what to do. He would know how to console her. Thalia didn't know if she ever had a crush on him, but he had most certainly been her best friend. She wished she could just give up living in the shadows and begin attending camp with her former family.

Life had never been good to her, though. Instead, she was stuck pretending to be someone named Charona, and was loathed by the girl she once thought of as a little sister. Luke didn't even know if she was alive. The two people she had loved, as much as she cared for her actual family, didn't even know she existed. To them, she was a freaking tree on a hill. Why couldn't she just be _Thalia_ again? It was cliché and overdramatic, but she hadn't been herself in five years.

After Jason disappeared, Thalia felt as if she had been torn in two. That had all changed when she traveled with Annabeth and Luke. She was beginning to feel whole again…only to have it stripped cruelly from her. She knew her father was only looking out for her and trying to keep her alive, but would it kill him to just let her see them once? The daughter of Zeus wanted nothing more than to tell Annabeth the truth and confront the unforgettable son of Hermes.

But she couldn't.

And, boy did she miss Jason. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes and quickly dabbed them away with the collar of her shirt. She would do anything and everything to have him here with her now. They could be a family again. She could take care of him, sing him to sleep, and make him dinner, just like she did before he vanished. Even with an absent mother, they could live a relatively happy life. A life they never got to have.

A loud growl emitted from behind a dumpster and the brunette jumped from the sound, dropping her cigarette in the process. Her mind was wiped clean as her body began to tense in anticipation. She could really do with a fight right about now, and it looked like her prayers would be answered.

A flash of black leaped towards her and she braced her hands out in front of her, reaching for any part of the monster in order to fend off its glinting fangs. It was a hellhound. Even though it was merely a puppy, it was about the size of an old woman's car, and was less than a foot from her face. Thalia's fingers gripped at the corners of its mouth and pushed against it, struggling to distance herself from its snarling maw.

Saliva poured from the dog's mouth like a disgusting waterfall, dripping onto her hands. She grimaced, but remained focused on fighting the animal away. Her boot-clad foot caught the beast in its side, causing it to give a pained whine. Its attack didn't cease, however, and she gritted her teeth in frustration.

Even if she bench pressed semi trucks on a daily basis, her muscles couldn't compare to that of the hellhound. If she could just reach her sword…

Seeing no other option, she let loose of the monster's mouth and dived beneath its form as it lunged towards her face. Its teeth crashed against the brick wall with a shattering impact and she finished crawling to her feet before pulling her pocket watch from her jacket.

Thalia activated her sword and triggered Aegis, watching in satisfaction as the dog recoiled a bit after turning around to face her. The head of Medusa scared nearly all of her opponents, demons included.

She swung out with Thunderbird, slicing across the dog's face. She knew it wouldn't be enough to kill him, but it would sure as hell slow him down…or make him even angrier. Thalia was pleased to discover it was the former, and smirked victoriously when she managed to once again injure the beast.

The demigoddess knew she shouldn't have been dilly-dallying around, but she hadn't had an enjoyable life-or-death battle in a while. Finally deciding to wrap up the fight, she swiftly jabbed her blade below the dog's head, and rammed it into its ribcage. The monster howled before turning to yellow dust.

Wiping her hands on her pants, she deactivated both her sword and shield and turned to walk back into the diner. When she got to the front door, she was surprised to find that there was no motorcycle in the parking lot. He had certainly departed quickly.

"Yo, Charona!" Grover called when she entered.

Thalia fought off the urge to scowl and instead flashed what she hoped was a welcoming smile. "Yeah?"

"We're going on a little trip," he announced.

The daughter of Zeus returned to her seat next to Percy and fixed her three companions with a confused look. "What are you talking about? I haven't even eaten yet." A hungry Thalia was never something anyone wanted to witness. When she didn't get her food, she gave a new definition to the word grumpy.

"I ordered you something," Annabeth said suddenly, giving the taller girl a relaxed smile. Well…that was new. "A cheeseburger and onion rings."

There was a strange glint in the blonde's eyes that made Thalia grow suspicious. How had the daughter of Athena known exactly what she wanted? "Thanks," the brunette said suddenly, running a hand through her short, curly hair. "That's exactly what I wanted, actually."

"I figured," the other demigoddess responded, failing to hide a smirk.

_That's certainly unusual, _Thalia remarked to herself. She brushed off the strange behavior and dug into her dinner.

* * *

"So, what's this about a trip?" Thalia asked after they had shouldered their bags and left the restaurant.

"Some jerk—" Percy started to say, but was cut off my Annabeth.

"_Ares_."

"—wants us to find his shield at a water park," he continued, as if the daughter of Annabeth had never interrupted. "Waterland," he provided with a saucy tone. "Right down the street. He promised us a ride to Los Angeles."

"Ares?" Thalia furrowed her dark brows. "Like, the god of War?"

"No, like the mayo," Annabeth said, rolling her eyes.

The daughter of Zeus laughed, surprising the rest of her companions. "If mayo talks to you, Annie, I'd suggest getting that brain of yours checked out." Thalia ruffled the girl's hair.

Annabeth blushed, before swatting away the brunette's hand. Grover snickered. "Oh, so she gets to call you Annie, and I don't?" he asked, pretending to be offended.

"It…reminds me of someone when she says it," the daughter of Athena said, flashing Thalia yet another warm smile. Seriously, what kind of drug was this girl on?

"Oh," the satyr said.

Soon after, they had reached the run-down water park. "This is it," Percy said, placing his hands on his hips. "Now, how are we supposed to get to the other side?"

Without wasting time, Thalia scaled the fence and leaped gracefully over to the other side. "Come on, slow pokes. We're pushing daylight here," she said, indicating the darkening sky.

Annabeth smirked before following her example. The boys quickly joined them.

"What would a war god be doing in the Tunnel of Love?" Thalia asked, eyeing the abandoned ride with obvious distaste. She couldn't believe she lived in a world where a war god would spend time in a water park, rather than on the battlefield. The gods were just getting sad.

"His girlfriend," the daughter of Athena replied. "Duh."

"Who in the world would be desperate enough to date that guy?" Percy asked, snorting. "Besides his left hand, I mean."

"_Aphrodite's _left hand," Annabeth answered smirking.

"Dude, that's just wrong," the daughter of Zeus remarked, shaking her head. Annabeth paled, obviously not planning to be called out on her innuendo. Thalia chuckled before setting her arm around the blonde's shoulders. "Who knew you would be such a riot?"

"Oh, stop," the shorter demigoddess said, brushing the girl's arm off. "I didn't mean it that way!"

"No offense, Annabeth," Grover started. "But, how _else _would you mean it?"

Percy frowned. "Wait," he said. "Isn't Aphrodite married to Hephaestus?"

"Have you seen Hephaestus?" Annabeth challenged, sending him a coy look.

"Uh, no, actually," he answered.

"Right," she said, realizing that he hadn't seen any of the gods, with the exception of Ares and Dionysus. "Moving on, the gods aren't exactly faithful."

"They're really like the way they are in the myths?" the son of Poseidon asked.

"Oh, yeah," she said. "And a lot of demigods take after their parents. For instance, Zeus is possibly the lewdest of them all, and Hercules was a major player."

Thalia coughed uncomfortably. Talk about awkward. Never had she _ever _wished to hear her father's romantic conquests brought up in a casual conversation. She busied herself with the zipper of her jacket and led the others into a gift shop. It required some minor lock picking, but she finally got the door to open.

"We need to get some supplies," she stated, eyeing the attire of her friends. "Especially you," she said, pointing to Annabeth. "Your shoes are about to fall apart."

The daughter of Athena blushed, but allowed the other girl to lead her to the farthest end of the shop. "That was some quality breaking and entering there," the blonde said, when they were far from the two boys. "Where'd you learn to lock pick like that?"

Thalia swallowed thickly. She wanted so badly to tell the truth, but she knew she couldn't. "I was a runaway for a few years," she answered cryptically. The brunette took a red and a pair of denim, tan Bermuda shorts off the rack before handing them over to Annabeth.

"Why don't you try those on?" she asked.

The other girl obliged, stepping into a nearby dressing room. She soon emerged, wearing the clothes that had been handed to her. "How do I look?"

"Good," Thalia replied, smiling slightly. "You look good."

Annabeth wasn't so hard to be around when she wasn't being spiteful.

"Thanks," the blonde said, walking back over to the other girl and grabbing a candy bar from one of the shelves. Whoa, they sold candy? Instead of eating it, the blonde stuffed it into her bag. "So," the younger demigod began. "Let's hear more about the mysterious Charona."

"Uh, we should really—"

"No," Annabeth said, holding up a hand. "I insist. If I am forced to have some stranger tag along on a quest with me, I have the right of asking them any questions I please."

Something about the way the daughter of Athena was looking at her made Thalia want to hide. Her gray eyes were narrowed, as if she were trying to find out something specific about her. "Fine," the daughter of Zeus said, eventually finding her voice. "Ask away."

"Coke or Pepsi?"

Uh, what in Hades?"

"Coke," the brunette answered quickly. She didn't really favor one over the other, but she didn't want to say both.

"Mexican or Italian food?"

"Italian." No contest.

"Favorite genre of music?" the girl asked next, beginning to frown for reasons unknown to Thalia.

"Rock. Anything rock, really. Alternative, punk, classic."

"Do you play any instruments?"

"I used to play drums, but I haven't found the time to play as of late," the daughter of Zeus answered honestly.

"Elvis or Sinatra?"

"Elvis."

"Rockabilly or disco?" Annabeth inquired. Where was she even getting these questions? And why did such trivial things matter to her?

"Rockabilly," the dark-haired teen replied.

"Chocolate or fruit snacks?"

"Chocolate."

"Life motto?"

Ooh, that was a tough one. Did anyone truly have just one motto they lived by? She chose to go with the most famous one she had ever considered. It was one she had heard her father say time and time again. "Blink twice—"

"—before any storm," Annabeth finished.

Thalia looked up in surprise. She instantly regretted her decision. The gray eyes of the other girl seemed to glow murderously, and the daughter of Zeus realized immediately that the blonde recognized her. Gods, how could she have been so stupid? If she had simply lied, she wouldn't have been stuck in this position. She knew she could never bring herself to lie completely to the young girl, though. She cared about Annabeth way too much.

Thalia didn't want the daughter of Athena to find out this way. Not this way.

"Annie—" she started, but was promptly slapped hard across the face. The sting of it shocked her and she had to bite her lip to keep from wincing aloud.

"Don't," the blonde hissed. "Just don't."

Annabeth spun around on her heel and stormed out of the shop, leaving Thalia behind looking like a moron. If she wasn't in deep shit before, she most certainly was now. The daughter of Zeus rubbed her sore cheek. Damn, the blonde was stronger than she remembered.

Thalia cursed herself. She sure did know how to mess up a good thing, didn't she?


	17. Shadows

**A/N: I'm pretty sure this is the quickest I've ever gotten a chapter up. I finished typing it about two minutes ago and decided to go ahead and post it. I hope you all enjoy reading it! I know I enjoyed writing it.**

**Disclaimer: If I owned the series, I wouldn't be posting on this website. Credit goes to Riordan.**

* * *

Thalia rushed out of the store, hoping to catch up with the angered daughter of Athena. She wanted to make things right again. She wanted to make Annabeth understand. She didn't want to lose her again. The daughter of Zeus managed to catch up to her quest companions, but Percy spoke before she could say anything.

"Why don't you two go into the Tunnel of Love and get the shield?" he suggested, looking to the girls. "It'll be less awkward."

"I don't know about that," Thalia mumbled to herself, but quickly cleared her throat after speaking. "I'm up for it," she said, glancing to the blonde. "Are you?"

"Grover and I will be waiting for you," the girl said, refusing to meet the taller girl's gaze. Without another word, the daughter of Athena abruptly turned and distanced herself.

Thalia bit down hard on her bottom lip. So much for making up. She tried not to let the rejection nip at her, and smiled sheepishly at the son of Poseidon. "Feel like playing retrieval buddy?"

He laughed. "Always," he responded, heading down into the vacant pool. She followed, albeit hesitantly. The cupids decorating the exterior of the empty pool were insanely creepy. In the center of the ride was a pink and white two-seater boat. On the top of the boat was a heart-printed canopy.

They cautiously approached the boat. If a god had left one of his belongings there, it couldn't be completely safe. The demigods caught sight of glinting metal and Percy smirked. "It's that easy?"

"Hey, look," the demigoddess said, picking up a scarf. "You getting cold? Have a silk scarf." She laughed as she wrapped it around his neck. "You're a total stud, Percy."

"You think so?" he asked in a strange accent, twirling a lock of his hair and posing dramatically. He puckered his lips, kissed the air, and closed his eyes.

Thalia cracked up. The son of Poseidon followed soon after. "Uh huh," the girl said between laughs. "The pink kind of clashes with your Waterland shirt, though." Just as Annabeth had, the two boys had "borrowed" clothes from the gift shop.

"It is so hard to match pink," he claimed, rolling his bright green eyes. "Whoa," he said suddenly, pointing upward. "Check it out. There are mirrors everywhere. It all makes sense now. I wondered why Ares and Aphrodite would go here, of all places."

Thalia looked to where he was pointing and snickered. "They're certainly modest, all right."

Percy nodded, agreeing. He smelled the scarf around his neck and sighed in content. "Man, this smells good." The boy began to rub it against the side of his face, a dreamy smile forming on his lips. "Smell this."

"Usually, when people tell me to smell things, I don't do it," she said.

"Seriously, smell it!"

"Percy, no," she argued, stepping back.

"Come on. Just once."

"You're freaking weird."

"Thalia," he whispered, as if they were sharing a secret. "_Smell _it."

Getting fed up, she tore it from his neck and wrapped it up in her hand, before stuffing it into her back pocket. "I think you've had enough," she snapped. "We came here to get a shield."

"Party pooper," he joked, sticking his tongue out. As he was reaching for the shield, she caught sight of a thin, light line. It was a trip wire.

Thalia was about to warn him when he decided to grab onto the shield and pull it out swiftly. A loud snap sounded and the daughter of Zeus reached out and pulled on his jacket, attempting to make a run for it. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

Gears whirred from somewhere within the ride and the strange looking cupids surrounding the pool shot arrows, tied to ropes, and effectively managed to trap the dark-haired heroes.

The cupids shot arrows once again, although they weren't aiming for the young half-bloods. Their lines and wires connected into a giant web. They watched on in shock as the heads of the statues opened, instantly being replaced by large cameras.

"Live to Olympus in one minute," a loudspeaker's voice boomed, and continued to count down. Spotlights focused on them, nearly blinding the teens.

"Shit!" the daughter of Zeus exclaimed. She laced her hand through Percy's as her eyes rapidly searched for a way out. Grover and Annabeth yelled from somewhere off to their left and they soon were in sight. Their friends struggled in vain to hold open a section of the makeshift net, but failed to do so. As soon as they reached the rim of the pool, the row of mirrors opened up and made way for thousands of metallic creatures.

The daughter of Athena shrieked, hurrying away from the scene. Why would she act so frightened…? Thalia finally got a good look of the critters and found her question answered. They were spiders. Dangerous, abnormally large, robotic spiders.

Finding no other option, the demigods rushed back over to the boat and climbed inside. The metal spiders were now coming from all around the pool, rushing to the center where the teens were nearly cowering in the seat. Thalia didn't know about Percy, but cowering wasn't something she did often.

They kicked the spiders away, yet some of the foul creatures had managed to crawl into the boat with them. There were just so many of them. Thalia considered shocking them, but she didn't feel as if that would do any good. Electrocuting metal? She'll pass.

Grover flew around the net, still attempting to cut a hole. Wait, flew? Thalia was distracted by the satyr's winged sneakers and left herself vulnerable. A spider lobbed off a part of the bottom of her boot and she angrily crushed it.

"Fifteen…fourteen," the loudspeaker announced once again.

Zeus' balls. The gods of Olympus were going to witness her making a fool out of herself. Just when she thought her life couldn't get any more awful, the icing was layered on top of the cake.

"Buckle up!" Percy screamed to her in warning. "Grover! Annabeth! Get to the control booth and turn the ride on!"

Was he out of his mind?

Not questioning his order (which was fairly uncommon for her), she strung the belt across her waist and quickly fastened it. The spiders wouldn't stop coming, and they were close to becoming overwhelmed with attacks.

"Five…four…"

The daughter of Zeus shifted nervously in the seat. Whatever Percy was doing, he'd better do it quick. _Calm thoughts, Thalia, _she reminded herself, taking a deep breath. _Candy. Music. Food. Food. Food. _A spider crawled onto her face. She swatted it away. Her body was shaking in anticipation. Forget calming down, she needed to get out of this thing _now_!

Percy buckled up next to her and grabbed her hand. She would've slapped him if she weren't already freaking out. The suspense was killing her.

"Three, two, one!"

Water exploded from the pipes in the walls and rushed out like a demented waterfall. A tidal wave collided the side of the boat, sending them sailing in circles. Thalia and Percy were immediately soaked, as were the spiders. Sparks shot through the automatons, and they were whisked away by the water.

The boat continued to spin around in the small whirlpool. If it were possible, the spotlights glared harsher. Thalia Grace was now a mockery. And one thing she hated more than anything else in the fucking world, was being embarrassed publicly. Her father must be ashamed.

Percy closed his eyes, and she realized he was trying to control the current that was pushing the boat. He was successful, and they were soon shooting into the darkened tunnel. If she weren't busy screaming her lungs out, she probably would have laughed at the ridiculous pictures of Romeo and Juliet on the wall and the various goofy love-symbolizing images and decorations.

As rapidly as they had sailed into the tunnel, they traveled out. They were now heading towards the exit. The only problem was, the exit gates were locked and if they didn't avoid flying into it, they would be smashed and possibly snapped in half.

Thalia swallowed anxiously, realizing they would have to jump for it. As if her fear of heights wasn't horrible enough, she had to leap through a small gap and land in a pool. She didn't even know how to swim.

"Unfasten your seatbelt," she commanded, forcing the weak tone from her voice. She was the daughter of Zeus and she was anything but a coward. Besides, now was a good as time as any to get rid of her fear of heights. Falling from the Arch hadn't been enough, apparently.

Percy hurriedly did as she requested and gripped her hand even harder. He strapped Ares' shield to his other arm and cleared his throat. "On my mark," he said.

Uh, no thank you. "If I'm going to die, it's going to be because I caused it," she disagreed. "On my mark."

"But—"

Thalia hated when others questioned her plans. She glared at him. "_On. My. Mark._"

This time, he didn't argue. She could almost hear the laughter of the gods. Gritting her teeth, she closed her eyes tightly. Controlling the air. It wouldn't be that hard. She had done it twice before, after all. But when would she know when to jump?

Trusting her instincts to guide her, she opened her eyes again. She felt a fierce tug in the pit of her stomach and she visibly winced. The air began to speed up around them. A few seconds passed before she cried, "Now!"

The two leaped from the boat and Thalia willed the winds to carry them over the top of the gate. Surprisingly, it worked. She grinned wildly, before she realized she couldn't stop the wind. Despite her better wishes, they flew right into the pool. Luckily, they had landed in the 6-foot zone and she easily crawled out of the water.

"Bloody Zeus," she panted out when she was once again on the asphalt. She sputtered out water and was sent into a coughing fit. Percy climbed from the pool and patted her on the back, sending her a look of concern. "I'm fine," she assured.

Percy's face flashed red when he noticed the cameras were still finished. "Show's over!" he yelled. "Thank you! Goodnight!"

The statues returned to their original positions around the pool. The spotlights shut off. Annabeth and Grover were staring at them in shock, their mouths agape. Percy waved a hand in front of their faces, but they still didn't budge.

"What?" Thalia asked.

Finally, they moved. Annabeth walked back towards the fence and began to climb it. Grover gasped. "That was awesome!"

The daughter of Zeus couldn't help but flash her trademark smug smile. "I know, right?"

She was surprised he wasn't questioning her abilities, but she chose not to think too much on it. Thinking had only ever harmed her before.

"Let's get back to the diner, wondergirl," Percy said, ruffling Thalia's wet hair.

* * *

A rough-looking guy in a leather jacket stood in the parking lot, awaiting their arrival. Thalia didn't like him, not one bit. Something about him just made her want to deck him across the face. He seemed full of himself, and—even though she was often prideful as well—it made her wish she could burn his smug grin right off. When he caught sight of her, his dark, scarred eyebrows furrowed.

"Who are you?" he asked rudely. As she expected, his voice was just as gruff as his appearance.

"Who knows?" Annabeth muttered, too low for the god to hear.

But, Thalia caught it. It made her chest ache to know that the girl may never fully forgive her. She couldn't blame her, of course. She'd probably be behaving the same exact way, were it her. At the same time, the daughter of Zeus couldn't help but feel slightly grateful. Despite their earlier conflicts, the blonde hadn't sold her out and revealed her secret.

The god of war grunted, looking the brunette up and down. Percy seethed next to her and clenched his fists. "Well," Ares began, clearing his throat. "You look familiar. You sure I don't know you?"

"Seeing as I've never met you before, I'm going to have to go with yes," Thalia answered, obviously sarcastic.

Ares chuckled. "Careful. You're starting to sound like Prissy over there."

Percy gritted his teeth. "Take your shield, you jerk," he hissed, thrusting out his arm. The god quickly accepted it and spun in around on his finger. The shield transformed into a bulletproof vest and Ares slung it across his back.

"I'm surprised you came back alive, kid," Ares snorted.

"You set us up," the son of Poseidon accused. "You knew it was a trap."

"And what a show on Olympus! I swear, our family hasn't bonded over anything in ages," the god whistled lowly, before snickering like the asshole he was.

Thalia subtly clutched Percy's forearm, silently warning him not to do anything he would surely regret later. This seemed to calm him down remarkably, and his eyes softened a fraction.

"Thank you, Lord Ares," Annabeth said. Even though anyone else would've sounded like a suck up, the daughter of Athena merely sounded respectful.

He once again grunted. The god reminded Thalia of one of her mother's old boyfriends, and that was _not _a good thing. "See that truck over there?" he questioned, pointing to a large eighteen-wheeler parked in front of the diner. "That's your ride. It'll take you straight to LA, with one stop in Vegas."

Although the words were printed white on black, Thalia still wasn't able to make out the words with her dyslexia. "Kindness International: Humane Zoo Transport. Warning: live animals," Percy muttered to her, realizing she wasn't able to read it.

Zoo animals? Humane? She knew firsthand that there was absolutely nothing humane about any zoo.

"You've got to be shitting me," the daughter of Zeus scoffed, before realizing she had spoken aloud. While Annabeth was shooting her a glare (for breathing, probably), Ares was sending her a look of amusement. It was faint, but it was certainly present in his fiery irises.

"Hey, it's a ride," he responded, crossing his arms over his bulky chest. "Don't complain, sugar." Thalia refrained from barfing at the pet name. Percy was quickly turning red. "Oh!" the god exclaimed. "And, here's a little something for getting the job done."

The god pulled a blue nylon backpack from the handlebars of his bike. As if to aggravate the son of Poseidon further, Ares tossed the bag to the brunette next to him. The second her hands came in contact with the bag, she felt as if she had been shocked. Something in the backpack was calling out to her, something familiar. Not able to pin-point exactly what it was, she unzipped the bag and peered inside.

Fresh clothes, a bag of Oreos, twenty bucks, and a pouch full of golden drachmas lied inside. Ares grimaced. "Oh, my bad," he said. "I didn't count on there being another demigod. Usually, there are only three."

After observing her attire, he snapped his fingers. A change of clothes appeared in the bag and she allowed herself a small smile. At least the god hadn't given her pink clothes. Thalia zipped it back and went to sling it on her shoulders. Realizing she had her own backpack on, she frowned. Where would she put the new bag?

"You're gonna have to ditch the other bag," the god pointed out. Before she could transfer the items, he snapped his fingers once again. "It's all done," he said.

She threw her old backpack aside and carried the new bag. "Thanks," she said. "Thanks a lot."

Something made Thalia glance to the diner again. She frowned when she saw a man pull out a disposable camera and snap a picture of them. They'd once again be all over the newspapers. Hadn't she been on the cover of enough?

Back in the beginning of her mother's acting career, they were constantly being printed in the pages. There was a time where, although her mother was a soap opera star, the name Grace was everywhere. She didn't want a repeat of her Mom's so-called _glory days_.

Ares flashed a wicked grin. "Mortals," he said with a roll of his eyes, mounting his bike. He turned to glare at Percy. "We'll meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you're in a fight, watch your back."

He revved his Harley and then raced down the street.

"What a nice guy," Grover stated.

"What a nice bike," Thalia corrected, raising a brow. She would kill to have a Harley. That is, if she ever got her license.

They raced across the street and climbed in the back of the big truck, closing the doors shut behind them. It was eerily dark in the truck and it reeked of animal waste. The daughter of Zeus wrinkled her nose. Percy uncapped his sword, providing some sort of light.

Thalia nearly gasped in pity. Sitting in front of them were three huge cages. And, in those cages, sat three very unhappy animals: a male albino lion, a zebra, and some weird antelope-looking thing. She had never really been an animal right activist or a vegan, but she didn't approve of the mistreatment at all. It wasn't humane, even in the weakest sense of the word.

A sack of turnips sat in front of the lion and the other two creatures had gotten trays of hamburger meat. The zebra's hair was matted and peppered with old gum, while the antelope thing had a stupid birthday balloon tied around its horn. The poor things looked as if they hadn't eaten right in a long while.

Fearlessly, Thalia reached into the lion's cage and switched the bag of turnips for the meat. She gave both the antelope and the zebra relatively equal amounts. Surprisingly, Annabeth leaned towards her and whispered in her ear, "You really haven't changed a bit, have you?"

When Thalia looked up to meet the other girl's eyes, the daughter of Athena turned around and started talking to Grover. "This is kindness?" the satyr yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"

The truck roared to life, the trailer shook with the action, and the teens had to press their backs firmly against the walls in order to avoid falling down and bumping their heads.

"Why don't we just free them?" Annabeth said.

"Uh, no offense," Percy said. "But I'd rather not be lion food."

"You're so stupid."

Thalia found a water jug and refilled their bowls. Seeing this, the daughter of Athena then stood up and began to cut the balloon string from the antelope. Grover communicated with the creatures with a variety of goat bleats, effectively calming them down.

Annabeth and Grover crashed soon afterwards, and Percy and Thalia were left alone. The lion gave a sudden purr, attempting to poke his head through the bars of his cage. The daughter of Zeus smiled slightly, before reaching into the cage and stroking the animal's mane.

"What are you doing?" Percy hissed.

"Petting a lion," she said. "Come on, doesn't he look lonely?"

"You're a raging nut job." He snorted, shaking his head. When the lion continued to mewl and tried to snuggle even closer to her hand, the son of Poseidon started to grin. "I think he likes you. That's weird. Your dad isn't even the god of lions."

"You don't know that."

"Sure I do."

"Prove it."

"How can you prove something like that?" he challenged, flashing a half-smile.

"Figure it out," she said, laughing.

"Annabeth," he said suddenly. At her look of confusion, he sighed. "Why is she ignoring you again? I thought you two were making progress."

"I know her," she replied. _Better just come out with the truth._ "I helped Luke escort her to camp when she was little. We traveled around together, before arriving at camp. Once we got there, though…"

"You died," he interjected.

"Almost," she corrected. "My father saved me just in time."

"And Grover?" he guessed. "He's the satyr that led you three to camp, wasn't he?"

She nodded. "He was only ordered to save me. I was his biggest priority. He didn't want to leave the other two behind, not that I would or anything. Dad told me he got in a lot of trouble for it." Thalia frowned. "I never wanted any of this to happen."

"It's not your fault."

"Maybe if I hadn't prayed to my father, I would have died. I wouldn't have had to worry about the prophecy, or the gods discovering me. I'd be better off as a tree. Happier, definitely. What tree isn't happy?"

"The trees that are burning," he joked, shooting her a wry grin.

"Not cool, man. Not cool," she scolded, but chuckled nonetheless.

"What do you think Luke told Annabeth?" she asked, completely changing the topic. She couldn't help it, really. It was something that mattered to her. What if the camp was in trouble? What if Luke was hurt?

"I talked to her earlier about it," he admitted. "He said that the camp was splitting in two. Some cabins were fighting for Zeus, others for Poseidon."

"Seriously?"

Percy nodded. "Weird, right? It's hard to believe I'm the cause of all this."

"Not true," she said. "Whoever stole the lightning bolt is."

"You say that but…" he drew out, making a funny face. She held back her laughter. "Your father still thinks I did it."

"My old man?" she asked, scoffing. "You shouldn't worry about him. He's paranoid. He'd blame anyone with eyes."

"You ever play Star Wars: The Old Republic?" he asked. "There's sometimes a glitch during the cinematic scenes, where none of them have eyes. It's creepy."

"Percy, I haven't played any game since the fourth grade."

The son of Poseidon gasped dramatically. "And how long ago was that?"

"Back when people wore loose pants, played on a Nintendo 64, and still knew what Atari was," she answered, smirking. When his face was blank, she rolled her eyes. "1998."

"Damn," he remarked, huffing in disbelief. "You weren't kidding when you said Zeus messed up your aging."

"Gee, thanks," she said, wryly. "I use anti-aging cream. I'm actually a grandmother of four."

Percy smirked. "How does that work, anyway? How is it possible?"

She sighed heavily. "All right, you want to know the truth?"

He nodded. "Uh, duh."

Thalia paused. Seeming to contemplate the notion, she stared at the opposite wall of the truck. "I have no earthly idea."

"We get so off topic," he declared.

"I know, right?"

Percy's eyebrows scrunched together and she actually had to hold back the urge to lean forward and smooth them down. She flushed a dark red. What was wrong with her? Finally deciding to ask a question, he said, "Why do the gods want to kill you? Besides being the child of that prophecy. I'm liable to be a part of it, too, and they haven't killed me yet."

_If only you knew. _Her mind flashed to Athena. "The gods wouldn't dream of trusting a child of Zeus," Thalia responded.

The son of Poseidon glanced at her suspiciously. "Um, in case you haven't noticed, most of the famous heroes in the myths are Zeus' children."

"True," she agreed, shrugging. "But, that isn't the complete truth. The only reason we're the most popular is because we're prone to taking full credit for every single heroic deed." Thalia didn't know if what she was saying was one-hundred percent true, but she did know that she was sick of always being compared to her brothers. Hercules, Perseus, and Alexander the Great were some of the most famous, and her father brought them up constantly.

She was forever living in their shadows.

"You're wrong," he said, shaking his head. "You have to be wrong."

"Maybe I am," she said, trying to hide her smirk. Thalia yawned suddenly. "I'm about ready to crash," the brunette admitted reluctantly. She didn't want to leave him up by himself.

"Me too," he said. "Here." Percy took their recently obtained backpack and slid it on the floor. "Makeshift pillow," he joked, smiling.

She laughed. "Thank you, kind sir."

"Don't mention it."

Thalia shifted around until she was lying on the floor of the truck, her head settling on the firm, uncomfortable bag. She closed her eyes and felt Percy lying down next to her. "Goodnight," he mumbled.

"Night," she replied, before promptly falling into a deep sleep.


	18. Royal Flush

**A/N: I am deeply sorry for it taking longer than anticipated, but here it is. Beware of troublesome cliffhangers. **

**Disclaimer: Riordan owns the rights to Percy Jackson. Hopefully, you all know this. **

Percy Jackson didn't know what was happening to him. He hadn't mentioned it to anyone, of course, but during the fight with the Chimera, he had defeated the creature in less than twenty seconds, and had sent Echidna to the hills. He had never known it was possible for him to possess any power, other than being able to kick himself in the rear, and he found it hard to fathom that he had actually fought as strongly as he did.

Thalia—she was a hero. He didn't know if it was because she was a child of Zeus (the most powerful god of them all), or because she had been fighting since a young age, but she was the strongest person he had ever met. That was starting to change. For reasons unknown to him, he was feeling mightier and mightier by the day. He would almost say he could take the daughter of Zeus on in a duel, but he wasn't _that _foolish. Why would he ever want to pick a fight with her anyway?

She had fought more monsters than he had game magazines, and that was most certainly saying something. Thalia had always known she was a demigod, and she was an offspring of the strongest immortal being on Olympus.

For such a mighty demigod, she looked awful fragile while she was sleeping. Without realizing what he was doing, he stroked the cheek of her sleeping face. She had a little drool spilling from the small cleft in her bottom lip, and he couldn't hold back his quiet laughter. If she had any idea how cute she was when she was sleeping…

Percy flushed a vibrant red. She was cute. So what? That didn't mean anything, did it? He assured himself that it didn't, but he made no move to remove his hand. Her face was warm and her cheeks pink, for reasons unknown to him. Was she getting too hot? It was pretty hot in the truck?

_Well, she is pretty hot, _he thought to himself, before realizing the sentence hadn't sounded quite the way he had meant for it to. Her skin was hot. Physically hot. Percy carefully moved to strip off her jacket, hoping it would cool her down a bit, before noticing the leather was still slightly damp from their incident at Waterland.

Damp leather was a pain in the ass to get off, so he didn't bother with it. Deciding he should go ahead and wake her, he shook her slightly. It was already morning and he had woken up roughly ten minutes before. In order for her to have some element of privacy while changing, he figured it was best to wake her up before Grover and Annabeth came to their senses.

The brunette mumbled something, before turning and facing the opposite way. Percy was hoping she wouldn't be hard to wake up, but that was apparently not going to be the case.

"Thalia," he whispered to her, shaking her again. "You need to get up," he urged.

The daughter of Zeus groaned, finally turning back to him. Her eyelids fluttered open and she blinked several times until she managed to see him clearly. "What's going on?" she asked, her voice thick. She sat up and looked around. "Did we stop?"

"No," he answered. "Not yet. But, it's morning."

Thalia eyed him like he had just said he had crafted a bridge out of macaroni. "You needed to change clothes, didn't you?" he asked, smiling.

"Uh, yeah," she admitted, standing up as much as she could in the truck. "It's gonna be a challenge doing it with the truck in motion," she joked, "and with you watching."

"I was going to turn around," he defended himself, blushing. Percy turned to let her dress. The son of Poseidon laced his fingers together and fiddled with his thumbs, waiting for her to finish getting ready.

When she called out, "You can turn around now," he obeyed the order. Percy looked her up and down, causing her to glare harshly at him. It's not like he could help it. The dark, striped v-neck fit her form nicely, as did her ripped black jeans.

"Those the clothes Ares picked out for you?" he asked, clearing his throat.

"Yeah," she replied briskly. "You change into yours yet?"

The rough tone of her voice bothered him. She was certainly _not _a morning person. Percy stood and dug through the new bag. Pulling out a plain blue shirt and a pair of tan Bermuda shorts, he quickly set them aside and stripped off his shirt.

"Jackson!" she said, spinning around to face the lion. "What are you doing?"

"Um," he began, almost sarcastically, "changing…? If that's all right with you."

"You just tossed your shirt off like some kind of…some kind of stripper!"

She could practically imagine the grin of his face. "Like what you see?" he teased.

"Of course not," she muttered weakly. "Stop being so weird. Just hurry up and get dressed."

Once he was dressed, they sat back down and leaned against the wall of the truck. Thalia dug into the nylon bag and fished out the pack of Oreos. She began to munch on them and reluctantly offered him some. Percy smiled. She was so possessive of her food. At least he knew she liked him enough to share.

Percy laughed, picking a few crumbs from the side of her mouth. "So, fess up," he said, licking the cream from inside of the chocolate cookie. "You like the little gun show preview earlier?" He winked playfully, and he couldn't help but smile when she laughed.

"Oh, yeah," she said sarcastically, and her cheeks were still a fiery red. She hadn't cooled down enough? Thalia glanced at the way he was eating his Oreo and frowned. "What the hell are you doing, man? You have to savor the cookie all together," she claimed, popping one of them into her mouth.

"No way! They're ten times better when you eat them like this," he disagreed, demonstrating his method once again. "Eating the cookie all together is just weird. You don't get the full taste of the cream, or the chocolate. If you eat them separate, you get the best of both worlds."

"You're stupid," she said, chuckling. "The best of both worlds. What are you, Hannah Montana?"

He knew she was just kidding, so he didn't retaliate with an insult. Things were so much nicer when they weren't arguing. At least, he thought so. Percy didn't know what she thought about it. Maybe she got a sick, twisted pleasure out of it. Forcing himself to stop thinking so strangely, he poked her in the shoulder.

"What?" she asked, looking at him.

Percy glanced into her eyes imploringly, and mustered up the bravery to ask his question. "You ever wonder why we argue so often?"

Thalia, for the first time, looked speechless. "Well," she started, obviously unsure of how to begin. "Zeus and Poseidon have always been rivals. They competed for power back in the day, and clash on several things. From what I can tell, they're actually very similar. My father is more regal and professional, of course, but they definitely share some qualities."

"You think we get it from them?" he said. At her look of confusion, he elaborated, "Our similarities. Do you think we're a lot alike because we take after our fathers?"

"You and I are nothing alike," she scoffed, averting her gaze. Percy followed her eyes and was surprised to see she was studying Annabeth.

"Annabeth told me otherwise," the son of Poseidon murmured. Thalia shot him an infuriated look. He figured she hated being kept out of the Annabeth-loop, but he didn't know she cared that much about the girl. He hadn't seen her that angry since that time back in Yancy Academy, when Nancy had thrown her into the fountain.

"Annabeth talked about me? When? What did she say?" she inquired, her voice almost frantic. "Does she know that you know?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah," he replied, his voice holding slight remorse. He felt like he had unintentionally kept something from her, and it wasn't a feeling he liked. "Annabeth brought it up yesterday. You weren't around at the time. She said you have a good heart, and you'd do anything to save the people you love."

"Don't lie to me," she snapped. "I know for a fact she didn't say anything nice about me. Why would she? Annabeth hates me now."

"She doesn't hate you," he laughed, shaking his head. Thalia truly had no idea just how much the daughter of Athena idolized her. "She's hurt, yeah. Who wouldn't be? But it's not too late. You can make it up to her, and she doesn't hate you. Annabeth cares about you. You're like family to her."

"When'd you grow a brain?" she asked, smirking.

Percy shrugged. "We all have to grow one some time," he joked.

Before another word could be said, the truck came to an abrupt stop. The demigods raced to the other side of the truck and shook their companions awake. Percy grabbed Grover and they dashed away to wedge themselves between turnip bags.

When Annabeth hesitated to get up, Percy held back his laughter as Thalia lifted her over her shoulder and dived behind food sacks. The daughter of Athena struggled against her hold, and the brunette muffled her sounds and whispered harshly in her ear.

"Stop fighting, would ya? They're coming to check on the animals."

Despite it being a whisper, the son of Poseidon heard it clearly in the confined space. The blonde eventually stopped thrashing about, but crawled off of Thalia and hid close beside her. The doors of the truck creaked open. Percy was able to catch a glimpse of the two truckers. They were chubby men, with dirty faces and stained clothes.

"Man," the taller trucker said, wiping his brow. "Don't you wish we hauled appliances?"

The man climbed into the truck and began to refill the animals' bowls. Splashing some of the water into the lion's face, he taunted it with a sneer. "Hey, big boy. You gettin' hot?"

The lion roared in response. Percy felt Grover tense next to him and he placed a comforting hand on the satyr's shoulder. The trucker tossed a crushed up fast food bag into the cage of the antelope.

Next, the cruel man had the nerve to laugh at the sad zebra. "How goes it, Stripes?" he teased. "We're gettin' rid of your ass at this stop. These magic freaks are gonna saw your ugly body in half."

The zebra met Percy's eyes and the demigod nearly gasped when it spoke as clear as day to him. _Free me, Lord. Please._

He could talk to freaking zebras?

Percy stiffened when he heard the unmistakable sound of a bag of turnips being knocked over. A flash of black danced through his vision and he watched as the trucker went tumbling out of the truck. Whatever had knocked into him wasn't treating him to a five-star dinner. The cries of the man echoed through the truck, even though he was presumably on the pavement outside.

What the hell was going on? Percy sprung from his hiding place and ran to the exit of the truck. He looked down and found himself at a loss for words. Thalia was repeatedly knocking the guy's face into the concrete. Talk about rage.

"Thalia!" a voice shrieked. Percy recognized it as Annabeth. The blonde jumped from the back of the truck and peeled the daughter of Zeus from the man. "What in Hades do you think you're doing? I had a plan!" Annabeth cried in frustration, shaking her baseball cap for emphasis.

"I accidentally made a noise and I panicked!" Thalia defended herself.

"Don't you lie to me!" Annabeth shouted. "I _watched _you tackle him. You didn't accidentally make any noise. I was right next to you!"

"Maurice?" the other trucker called out in concern, walking around the other side of the truck. Annabeth reached out and swiftly took a hold of the taller girl's hand, as if daring her to jump the other guy. Her gray eyes narrowed menacingly.

Percy saw the malicious glint in Thalia's blue eyes, and realized she was fighting off the urge to attack the newcomer. Maurice groaned from his position on the floor and his friend rushed to his aid, not even taking notice of the teens surrounding them.

The son of Poseidon halted the dark-haired demigoddesses movements with a gesture of his head, silently hinting at the cages. Thalia nodded in understanding, shaking herself from the daughter of Athena's hold. Annabeth flashed her a look of disbelief, but didn't try to stop her.

The brunette crawled up into the back of the truck and dug a hairpin from her bag. She swiftly unpicked the locks of the cages and the animals leaped from the truck. Fortunately, the zebra purposely kicked the conscious trucker in the back of his head, effectively knocking him out.

Grover cheered. "Taught those cruel mortals a thing or two!"

"I hope they'll be safe," Annabeth commented, looking after the retreating animals.

"I put a satyr's sanctuary on them," Grover assured. "They'll reach the wild safely. Before you ask, Percy," he said, "it only works on animals."

"So, it'd work on her," the daughter of Athena added, pointing to Thalia.

The brunette glared, her jaw tensing. "Watch it," she threatened.

"You jumped a mortal!" Annabeth argued. "There's no way you aren't some kind of animal."

"Annabeth," Percy interjected. "Just stop. We have to get out of here. Police are going to investigate the unconscious truckers sooner or later."

Thalia reached into the truck and pulled out the bags, handing each to their owner. When they were packed up and ready to travel, they sprinted down the longest street, hoping to reach some form of transportation. Eventually, they found themselves at a dead end, standing in front of a strange hotel.

"Lotus Hotel and Casino," the daughter of Zeus remarked thoughtfully. "I'm not one for gambling…but it looks like a good place to rest." She turned to look for the approval of the others. Percy found her hopefulness amusing. Her blue eyes lit up at the thought of staying the night at a casino.

"Sure," Grover agreed. Percy nodded with a smile. Annabeth was silent.

The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals luminescent and blinking continuously. No person was seen entering or exiting, yet the sparkling chrome doors were open, the scent of lotus blossoms filling their nostrils.

The welcoming doorman smiled. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"

Something bothered Percy about the man, but he figured there wasn't anything suspicious about him. The doorman just looked too _normal _to be some kind of monster or god. He was dressed in the standard uniform and his sympathetic tone held no falsity.

Upon entering the hotel, they all eagerly glanced around. To their surprise, the entire lobby was a humungous game room, with every game known to man. Percy would've been satisfied with the classic Pac-Man system, but he wasn't complaining about the arrangements.

There was an indoor waterslide that snaked around a glass elevator, a large climbing wall, and a bungee-jumping bridge. Virtual-reality games were also there. Kids were dressed in virtual suits, blasting each other with laser guns. Huge flat screen TVs displayed the newest video games. Percy felt like he had died and gone to Elysium. Surprisingly, few kids were playing any of the hundreds of games.

Waitresses walked around, carrying trays of every snack and beverage imaginable. Thalia gladly accepted a glass of cold cola from a friendly woman and smiled her thanks. Taking a sip from the cool glass, the daughter of Zeus sighed in content.

"Man, this place is awesome," she claimed.

"Glad you think so," a bellboy said, approaching them. "Here you go," he smiled, handing both Thalia and Percy a key. "Boys in one room, girls in the other."

If anyone else had said it, the teens would've rolled his or her eyes. But this guy sounded extremely kind.

"Here are your Lotus cards," he announced, handing them each a green, floral card. "If you have any problems, call the front desk. Welcome to the Lotus Casino," the man said with a wide grin before walking off to tend to other visitors.

The demigods and satyr climbed into the glass elevator, heading up to check out their rooms. Percy felt bad for Thalia; after all, she had to room with someone who was holding a major grudge against her. _Tough luck, _he quipped to himself.

He had a feeling he was going to enjoy his stay there.

* * *

"Don't expect me to talk to you," Annabeth snapped upon entering their suite. Thalia gritted her teeth. How in the world did she get stuck with the daughter of Athena? Was yet another immortal out to get her? When the blonde attempted to head into the bathroom, the daughter of Zeus reached out and grabbed onto her arm. "Let go of me," Annabeth growled out in warning.

Not wanting to get bitch-slapped again, Thalia let go. When the smaller girl stomped into the bathroom and slammed the door, the brunette made the assumption she was planning to take a shower. She sure as hell needed one. Maybe it'd wash away that rotten attitude of hers, too.

Thalia frowned, realizing she was the reason the other girl was in a foul mood. If she hadn't lied to her, Annabeth wouldn't be so resentful. Hell, they'd be a family again. Why did she have to mess up so damn much? She ran a hand through her hair. It probably made it even messier, but she didn't care. She'd just grab a shower after Annabeth.

After waiting impatiently for forty-five minutes, the girl finally exited to bathroom, a loose towel wrapped around her body. Without speaking a word, Thalia headed in after her and closed the door. She was going to fix this tonight. She wasn't putting it off. She would just rather smell relatively decent while addressing the issue. The daughter of Zeus missed Annabeth more than anything.

Stripping out of her clothes, she stepped into the warm spray and began to lather her hair in shampoo. Because her hair was so short, she was able to wash it and condition it in record time. After shaving and washing her body, she rinsed the soap from her body. Thalia had stalled long enough. She was going to make things right.

Figuring her clothes were still clean, she scooped them up from the floor. Unfortunately, some of the shower water had gotten on to them and they were now soaked. She closed her eyes firmly and took a deep breath, trying to control her anger. Her life fucking sucked right now.

The brunette exited the bathroom and was only slightly appalled to see Annabeth was no longer in the room. Shrugging in a futile effort to fool herself into believing she didn't care, she walked over to the dresser in the corner of the room and rummaged through it. There had to be something in it she could wear.

Sure enough, she found a pair of underwear and a bra…that were _exactly _her size. She found this a little weird, but chose not to question it. Thalia put the undergarments on and shook her hair with the towel, making sure it wouldn't drip out onto the carpet. Looking through the last drawer, she discovered a soft pair of maroon sweatpants. She quickly slipped them on and nearly laughed at the look of them. They looked tacky but comfortable, which was exactly what she looked for in nightclothes.

As it was past ten now, she decided she'd try and go to sleep. There would be time to talk to Annabeth later, right? She walked over to the closet and tugged out a random graphic tee and pulled it over her head. Glancing into a nearby mirror, she was both suspicious and joyous to see the black shirt represented one of her favorite bands. It was almost as if the hotel had been expecting her.

Yawning, she settled into the king-size bed and buried herself beneath the covers. How had it gotten to be so late? Her body was insanely worn. She had nearly fallen asleep when a loud noise broke through her eardrums. Thalia looked up and squinted against the bright lights. Annabeth had returned, and she held a to-go box.

"Thought I'd get you something," the daughter of Athena mumbled, tossing the box onto the bed. Rather than open it, Thalia sat it on the nightstand and stood. Annabeth looked slightly startled, but didn't move.

"We need to talk," the daughter of Zeus stated simply.

"No, we don't," the blonde disagreed, scowling. "We really, really don't."

"I owe you an apology."

Annabeth sighed heavily, and eyed Thalia in confusion, as if she didn't know whether or not to find the other girl sincere. "You get five minutes," she said, sitting down on the bed. "Five minutes to convince me that you are sorry. If you blow it, you've blown all of your chances."

Thalia took a deep breath. Here went nothing.


	19. Black Friday

**A/N: Again, an early chapter. What is coming over me? Anyway, this story is nearing its end. It still has quite a few chapters to go, but its wrapping up. I am still not sure whether or not I will continue the series; however, I was brainstorming the other day and ended up writing the entire first chapter of a Sea of Monsters spin-off. Do you think I should continue the series after this story? Leave me a review letting me know. **

**Disclaimer: Still. Do. Not. Own. PJO.**

* * *

Thalia stood from the bed and rummaged through the small pantry. "We got chips, some French cookies, granola bars, pudding cups, and bread." The daughter of Zeus glanced back to the blonde and asked, "You want any of these?"

"You just ate that sub I brought you and you're eating again?" Annabeth questioned. "Now I know you're just stalling. Come on, you said you wanted a chance to apologize. And, it's been way passed five minutes."

_So much for that plan, _Thalia thought sadly. She really didn't know how to go about this. She wasn't at all comfortable, and Annabeth was a very intelligent girl. The blonde wouldn't just up and forgive her so easily.

The brunette pulled out a large bag of potato chips and pulled two cold sodas from the fridge. Hesitantly, she walked back over to the bed. "I am not stalling," she denied, sitting down next to the blonde. "When hunger calls…"

"Ya gotta answer," Annabeth finished, mocking her voice. At the other girl's glare, the daughter of Athena had to stifle her laugh. "If I had a dime for every time I heard you say that while we were on the run, well…I wouldn't be here with you dorks." A dreamy expression crossed her face. "I'd be rebuilding the temples in Greece…or renovating Versailles. Oh! I have wonderful ideas for Peterhof Palace!"

Thalia laughed and tore open the bag of chips. "Whatever. My five minutes hasn't even started yet, Ms. Priss. Let me sate my hunger, and we'll talk after that. I promise." Sate? Who the hell said sate anymore? _Obviously Thalia Grace says sate, _she joked to herself.

Gods, now she was joking to herself. She really was a lonely person.

"Slacker. Grover and Percy already know. Why won't you tell me already?"

"I am _not _a slacker," the brunette argued, shoving chips into her mouth. Since she did have some element of decency about her, she waited until she was done chewing until she spoke again. "Okay, so maybe I'm stalling. But can you really blame me?"

"Already am."

Thalia cracked open a soda and took a long swig. Setting the bag of chips on the nightstand, she turned to face the other girl. She was far from full, but she was growing sick of neglecting her promises. The brunette nervously wiped the palms of her hands on her sweatpants and cleared her throat. Annabeth stared at her blankly, as if daring her to begin the wrong way. Here went nothing. Okay, she was going to start. Now. No, now. All right, how about now?

_Spit it out._

"Start from the beginning," Annabeth instructed, assisting Thalia in her mental debate. The brunette flashed her a look, and the daughter of Athena sighed. "Start from the hill. What happened? How are you alive?"

Thalia took a deep breath. "I was dying. A Fury rammed a sword through my stomach, and it punctured an organ. I was bleeding excessively and I just didn't know what to do. S-so, I prayed to my father. I didn't know what happened next, but I woke up in a strange room. I realized soon that I was on an airplane. Thank the gods, it wasn't in flight."

Annabeth furrowed her light brows, as if trying to comprehend the thought. Something obviously didn't make sense to her. Rather than ask a question, the blonde simply waved her hand absentmindedly. The daughter of Zeus took this as her sign to continue.

"D—Father," she stumbled through her words. She felt uncomfortable calling him Dad. He wasn't a dad, not really. But, he was her father. He had sired her. "He was sitting in the pilot's seat. He said we were in an abandoned airport, and he saved me."

"Saved you?" Annabeth asked, gray eyes wide. "That's against the ancient laws!"

"Which is why I had to be in hiding," Thalia stressed. She held back her smile when the daughter of Athena nodded in complete understanding. She was getting it."Zeus broke one of the most sacred laws, and several of the other gods would enjoy killing me. I haven't told Percy this. I know I have no right to ask this of you, but please don't spread it around."

The daughter of Zeus was sure the other girl would deck her across the face. Surprisingly enough, Annabeth leaned forward and pulled her into a tight hug. The blonde buried her head in Thalia's neck and inhaled deeply. "It's so good to have you back. I missed you so much. Luke misses you. Come back home."

Thalia would not cry. She wasn't a sentimental person. And, she had learned not to be too hopeful about anything. Still, she hadn't felt this great in a long while. Words couldn't even begin to describe how good it felt to hug Annabeth again. She hadn't done it in years, but it was like riding a bike. Once she got back into doing it, everything just came naturally to her.

The daughter of Zeus rubbed up and down the other girl's back and nuzzled her nose into curly, honey blonde locks. "I know, Annabeth. I'm here now. I'm so very sorry. You don't deserve all the things I put you through. I wanted to tell you, I did. But…I couldn't. I'm sorry."

Annabeth wouldn't cry in front of her—she was way too strong for that. But, for the first time since Thalia had seen her, she looked to be pretty close. The daughter of Athena mumbled something in her shirt that the brunette couldn't decipher. She titled the smaller girl's chin up and glanced into her face imploringly.

"I love you," Annabeth mumbled again.

Thalia felt like her chest might explode. The last time the other girl had said that to her, she had been sacrificing herself to hundreds of monsters. To hear the words spoken once again lifted a heavy burden from her shoulders. She felt more relieved and relaxed than ever. Thalia felt as if she could spend the rest of her days feeling like she was, and she wouldn't complain once.

But…weren't they on a quest?

They needed to get out of this place. They had less than a week until the Solstice, and they were too far from the Underworld. A whole freaking state too far.

"I love you, too, kiddo," Thalia murmured back, but pulled away from the embrace. "We need to get some sleep now," she reasoned. "There's no time for enjoying ourselves."

"Actually," a new voice called. The girls turned to see Percy and Grover grinning in the doorway. "We had something else in mind."

"Oh?" Annabeth asked, after clearing her throat. "What would that be?"

The boys shared a mischievous look and held up their cards. "It's game time, girlies," Grover said, laughing.

* * *

Zeus grumbled up on Olympus. The stupid son of Poseidon wouldn't leave his daughter alone. For Rhea sake, he was trailing his daughter like a lost puppy. Clenching his fists around his armrests, he tried to keep himself from lashing out. Percy Jackson had had the nerve to take his beautiful child into the Tunnel of Love. If his lightning bolt weren't at risk, he'd annihilate the demigod on the spot. Aphrodite's ranting didn't help matters at all, either.

"Oh, Lord Zeus, look at them! How could you want to kill that darling boy?"

The Lord of the Sky had to refrain from barfing. If his brother's spawn so much as laid a finger on Thalia, he'd snap him in half. He glanced around the full throne room. Now every god on Olympus knew of his daughter, including Hera. Zeus looked over at his wife, unnerved by the look of rage on her flawless features. The whipped god reached over and grabbed her hand, smoothing his thumb lovingly over the back.

Hera swiveled her head to glare at him. Man, if looks could kill, he'd be six-feet-under already. Hephaestus TV was live in front of them, projecting images of the water park. His daughter was seated in a boat with the son of Poseidon and they were sailing rapidly down the tunnel.

Zeus gritted his teeth. The little punk. If he hadn't of summoned water, they wouldn't be shooting towards a fence. If Thalia didn't fly them over the obstacle, they'd be smashed to pieces. He heard Poseidon's chuckle and he immediately turned to scowl at his older brother. "Lighten up, my brother," the god of the sea lectured. "They are enjoying themselves."

"Uncle is right," Athena agreed, surprisingly. "For such a moronic immortal, he has made a point. They are merely children."

"Hey!"

Zeus tuned out the meaningless bickering. "Athena," he called out. "Meet me in the common room," he announced, standing from his throne and marching out of the room. He didn't give the goddess time to reply.

He needed to talk to her urgently. If what Thalia had claimed were true, his own immortal daughter would now become his enemy. As soon as he had entered the common room, he turned and saw Athena near the glass table.

"You wanted to talk to me, father?"

"You have met with my Thalia, yes?" he questioned, although it sounded more like a statement. The goddess of wisdom avoided the question and sat down on one of the leather seats surrounding the table. "Why?"

"I made a proposal," Athena answered briskly. "But, that is no longer relevant."

"_What _did you say to her?" Zeus nearly growled. There wasn't anyone he wouldn't hurt to ensure his half-blood daughter's safety. Ancient laws are damned. He had broken one before, and he wouldn't hesitate to break yet another.

"I instructed her to follow the son of Poseidon, and once a monster killed him, I told her to search for the lightning bolt," she answered. Zeus could tell she was being honest. "That is all. It was for the greater good. You would have gotten to bolt back, and we'd have restored order to the council."

"Have you threatened her?"

"I would not dream of going through with the threat!" she argued. "Therefore, it is not worth mentioning."

"What did you threaten her with?" he asked, his voice steely cold and emotionless. She mumbled something he could not hear and he slammed his hand flat against the table. "Athena, are you unable to raise your voice?"

The goddess glared. "I threatened to tell Hera."

"That damage is already done now," the God of the Sky pointed out. "What further harm could be done?"

Athena gave a bitter laugh. "You believe Hera will just sit back and let the girl be? You are intelligent, father, but you are far from wise when it comes to your own wife. Nothing stopped her from cursing Hercules, what makes you think something is going to hold her back now?"

Zeus' eyes widened and he nearly sprinted from the room. How could he have been so forgetful and trusting of his wife? She would not take this news calmly, nor would she just lie down and neglect his offspring's existence.

Before he could reach the throne room, his wife had him cornered in the hallway. "What was your business with Athena?" she inquired. He couldn't rightfully blame her for being possessive and jealous. He had screwed her over time and time again.

"She had been in contact with…Thalia, and I decided to interrogate her on the matter," he replied slowly, as if testing the waters. Her beautiful eyes narrowed at the name, but she didn't comment on it, which worried him much more.

"Very good," she said, nodding slightly. "Shall we return to our chambers, Lord? Many of the other immortals departed soon after the show."

Zeus nodded in agreement, still obviously anxious. Why wasn't she yelling? "Darling, I must ask, are you unnerved at all?"

She tensed, and he resisted the urge to immediately retract his question. He needed to know the answer. He didn't want Hera to do anything rash. "Why, of course," she answered, her voice _too _calm. "Why would I not be unnerved? Your bastard child is once again back in the running to destroy us. Did you expect me to throw a celebration?"

Zeus sighed. He had a lot of sucking up to do. He had a feeling chocolate and flowers wouldn't heal everything this time. Maybe a vacation in Venice.

* * *

"I visited Vegas once," Thalia admitted, frowning. Despite the fact she was kicking major monster ass on the game in front of her, the past brought up bad memories for her.

Annabeth stood to her left, playing some architecture simulation game. Thalia couldn't see how she could play a game like that. Learning games had always bored her. Action games, on the other hand, were a whole other story.

"Why do you look sad about it?" the daughter of Athena asked, her face scrunching up in concentration.

"My Mom was an exotic dancer," the dark-haired teen replied, shrugging.

After her acting career had fallen through, her mother wasn't qualified for many jobs. Finding no other occupation that best fit her, her mom had decided to become a dancer in a ritzy casino. It was good money, and she was never forced to reveal much of her body, but it was extremely degrading and Thalia hated the way drunken men ogled her mother. A thing about the daughter of Zeus? She would kill anyone who harmed the people she loved, and in her book the men were disrespecting her mom.

"Oh," Annabeth responded. Thalia realized she had probably made the other girl feel slightly awkward. Damn, she hadn't even gone into detail. "Hey, what game are you playing?" the blonde asked, too involved in her own game to bother glancing over at the taller girl's screen.

"Clash of the Titans," the daughter of Zeus answered, slicing off the head of one of Hades' minions. "Check it out! They let me change Perseus to Thalia. How freaking sweet is that?"

"Very freaking sweet," Annabeth said, grinning. "Look at this mansion!"

Thalia didn't realize anything was wrong until a ten-year-old boy bumped into her. She turned around to apologize, but then noticed the boy looked insanely unfortunate. He wore a pair of dark, striped trousers, a torn and dirty white button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and he was barefoot. A worn hat sat on top of his curly black hair. Had that kid not gotten new clothes?

Managing to pull herself away from the game she tapped the kid on the shoulder. "Hey, kiddo. Why don't you come with me to the Lotus store? I'll get ya some new clothes."

He smiled slightly, his dark hazel eyes glinting in the lights. "Okay," he said shyly, weaving his hand through hers.

He was extremely small compared to her, seeing as she was bordering on being six-feet-tall, and he didn't look any older than ten. For a brief second, her mind flashed to her younger brother Jason. She would give anything to see him. This small boy reminded her of him. His hair stuck up out of his hat, and his voice was quiet. Jason had been the same, until he had reached the age of two. Once he got more comfortable, the blonde boy would ramble off loudly in public about anything that caught his eye. Thalia forced herself to stop thinking about her missing brother and led the olive-skinned kid into the in-hotel store.

"What do you fancy?" she asked, smiling down at him.

"My sister likes it when I wear clean clothes," he said, wrinkling his nose.

The daughter of Zeus couldn't help but laugh. "Clean clothes, it is," she declared, leading him to a rack of bottoms. "What's your favorite color?"

"Black," he said, smiling. Now, this was a kid she could get along with. She pulled a pair of black shorts from the rack and handed them to him. After finding a shirt he seemed satisfied with, and a pair of nice sneakers, they walked up to the cashier and Thalia paid for the items.

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, holding the shopping bag in his small hands.

She laughed. "No problem, kiddo. Why don't you go dress into those and then we'll play a game or two together?"

The boy nodded eagerly. "Yeah!" he exclaimed, before dashing to the elevator.

Thalia shook her head in amusement, and walked back to her game. Whoa, she'd paused it? Annabeth, surprisingly, wasn't near her anymore. Had she gone to the waterslide or something? The daughter of Zeus shrugged. It was the blonde's loss.

Slow Ride by Foghat blared through the hotel and Thalia struggled to find the source of the song. Finding Percy sitting in a replica '75 Ford Hatchback, she laughed.

He glanced at her when her chuckle sounded and grinned widely. "Hey, Thalia," he said. "Come race me!"

The brunette ran over to the convertible BMW beside his car and leaped in through the window. After fiddling around, she managed to pull the hood down. Before she could join the race, the little boy from earlier leaped into the passenger seat.

"I've never seen a car like this," he claimed, grinning toothily.

Thalia was taken back. He had never seen a convertible? "What do you mean?" she asked. "What cars _have_ you seen?"

"Lincoln Continental," he named offhandedly, "Plymouth, Buick, Cadillac Coupe de Ville."

Thalia was pretty good when it came to cars and mechanics, but the answers were so vague, she couldn't put an exact year on them. Cadillac had stopped making the Coupe de Ville in the early 90s, she knew. Buick was still around, of course. Plymouth had stopped making cars, period, in 2001. The Lincoln Continental? They stopped making those in the early 21st century. Where the hell did this kid come from, where he hadn't seen one of the new models?

"What year is it?" Percy asked. He had suddenly paused the game, and found himself interested in the conversation. "Kid," he called the boy's attention. "What year is it?"

The boy turned to look at the son of Poseidon unsurely. Thalia patted his back lightly, to show that the teenager was a friend of hers. "I—I don't remember what year it is."

Percy frowned in confusion. Thalia cleared her throat pointedly, calling the attention of the two boys. "Who is the president?"

The boy paused once again. He was beginning to fidget uncomfortably and his face grew slightly red. "Hey," the daughter of Zeus said. "Don't worry about it, kid. Percy and I are just curious people." She flashed a smile at the small boy.

The son of Poseidon nodded in agreement. "Very curious."

"Percy?" the boy asked. "That's a weird name."

"Hey!" said teen cried incredulously. "I bet your name isn't any better. What is it?"

"It's N—"

"Oh, thank God," a female's voice exclaimed. A dark haired girl appeared next to the small boy, looking exhausted. "I've been looking for you everywhere! You know not to wander off like that."

"I was hanging with friends, Bianca!" he argued, crossing his arms over his chest. "We were gonna play games and Mythomagic until you showed up!"

_Mythomagic? _When had she promised that? On second thought, what the hell was that?

Bianca, the girl, looked up from her brother and noticed the other two teens for the first time. She seemed shocked that they were so much older and blushed. "Come on, Nico," she urged. "Let's leave the two of them alone. I'm sure they'd rather play alone."

Before Percy or Thalia could stand up and disagree, Bianca had ushered her brother Nico into the elevator. Well…that was certainly strange.

"Something is up with this place," Percy said, glancing at the daughter of Zeus. The brunette nodded, showing she believed it to be suspicious as well. "They…they aren't from this time. They act like they're from the fifties."

Thalia whispered something to herself, making sure her companion couldn't hear it. The two kids had to be from the forties. The way he had been dressed…the cars he named off. They hit their golden age in the forties. More precisely, before World War II. Before the Oath of the Big Three. Thalia stood up from the car, and Percy followed her example.

"Let's ask some other people," the son of Poseidon suggested. "Maybe those two kids were just lying or something."

The teens ran around the lobby, asking different kids what the year was. One boy, wearing a pair of parachute pants and a white shirt, had said it was 1983. A girl, dressed in a pair of acid wash jeans and a Red Hot Chili Peppers shirt, claimed it was 1992. Thalia fought the urge to compliment her outfit and they asked yet another kid, who said it was New Years' Day, and they should know the year already.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Percy asked.

"The guy in the parachute pants needs a fashion check?" she guessed, although she knew exactly what point he was trying to make. He rolled his beautiful sea green eyes at her comment, but didn't acknowledge it.

"These people—they have been here since 1960, or 1980. They're stuck here. Time passes strangely here. It's some kind of trap," he said. "How long do you think we've been here?"

"Maybe a few hours?" she suggested.

"I would say longer," he disagreed, shaking his head. "We need to get out of here. Now."

"What about our bags?" Thalia asked worriedly.

Percy thought for a moment before frowning. "You run up and get the bags. Be quick about it. I'll get Annabeth and Grover. Meet me near the entrance. I have a feeling these guys won't want for us to leave."

"Prepare for a fight," she stated, smirking. "Gotcha."

Not waiting for his reply, she sprinted to the elevator and hurriedly pressed the buttons. Before long, she was in the elevator and impatiently tapping her foot. Could it take any longer? She was hoping it wouldn't. Soon, she was back in front of her room. She inserted her key, but for some reason the door wouldn't open.

_Bastards._

Lifting her foot into the air, she kicked through the door. Her boot easily broke through the elegant wood. She pulled her foot from the hole in the door and reached through with her hand. Thalia swiftly unlocked the door and opened it from the inside.

The daughter of Zeus thoroughly swept through the suite, finding any and all bags. She packed extra clothes and other necessities for measure and headed into the boys' suite next. Thalia was really hoping they wouldn't sue her for damaging their doors. After repeating the same process, she ran back to the elevator. At least the hotel hadn't rigged that, too.

The brunette got to the lobby safely and was surprised to find Annabeth fighting off Percy and Grover. They didn't have time for this. Even with all of the bags, the daughter of Zeus managed to tug the blonde into her arms and quickly ran for the door.

The daughter of Athena had a mean left elbow, but Thalia gritted her teeth and withstood the pain. "Come on!" she yelled to the boys.

Unfortunately, this caught the attention of the bellboys.

"Wait! You haven't gotten your platinum cards yet!" one of them called, waving said cards in the air.

"No thank you," Percy said, attempting to slip through the doors. Before any of them could exit, however, the twin doors were slammed shut by the doorman.

"Uh, Percy," Thalia said. "I think that fight is coming right about now."

Yet another one of the bellboys sneered. "Visitors!" he called to the other kids. "Great news! New _gold _cards go to whomever manages to prevent these teenagers from leaving!"

To the surprise of the teens, the other kids actually looked away from their games. Thalia was about to walk out in front of the rest of them when she found herself tackled by a flash of blond. Annabeth reached out to sock her one, but the daughter of Zeus managed to block the punch.

"Annie!" she shouted. "What the hell are you doing?"

"That gold card is mine!"

"The quest," Thalia said, dodging yet another hit. "We have to get to Los Angeles. Annabeth, this place is a trap! Once you check in, you're checked in forever!"

Annabeth smiled madly. "What better place to spend eternity?"

Thalia looked up to see Percy and Grover fending off groups of people as well. Bags weighted the daughter of Zeus down, as did the blonde straddling her stomach, so she wasn't able to break free and help them. If Annabeth didn't stop trying to dismember her and help them in the fight, they'd surely be overwhelmed. It was worse than Black Friday.

_What would shake Annabeth out of the stupor?_

"Luke! You'll never see him again!"

"So?" the intelligent girl challenged, landing at hit on Thalia's cheek. "I don't need him. I have all the things I could ever want here. It's incredible! And, they have the National Geographic channel. Camp doesn't have televisions."

The taller girl grimaced, but didn't give in. Seeing no other option, she decided to spook the girl out of her trance. "Spiders! Big, hairy flesh-eating _spiders_!"

The blonde climbed off of her, and shook her head. Her gray eyes wide, Annabeth looked around at the chaos and gasped. After coming to her senses, she jumped into the fight and flung a guy in snazzy bellbottom jeans off of Grover.

Thalia struggled to her feet. There was no way she could fight while carrying all of the bags. Seeing her problem, Percy rushed over and grabbed two of the four. They soon found themselves surrounded, pressed up against the exit. Thalia had a feeling that kicking couldn't prove effective in this situation.

How could they escape? Could she pick the lock? Her eyes glanced down and she felt her smirk drop when she noticed the hotel had some kind of computerized lock pad. She had never been good with any sort of wiring or computer. Thalia always accidentally electrocuted it—

Her eyes widened. "Percy!" she called. "Watch my back!"

After checking to make sure he heard her, she spun around and dropped to her knees. The task would be easier if she had a screwdriver, of course, but she would be able to access the wires another way. With great effort, she managed to peel back a corner of the brass frame. Her lightning was usually only effective with direct contact with wires and electrical units. She'd have to be careful or else she'd end up electrocuting one of her companions.

Thalia slipped two fingers in underneath the frame and closed her eyes. The tug in her gut was hardly noticeable, as she had done this enough times, and sparks leaped from her body. Lightning shot through the roof of the hotel and ignited the electrical circuit. With a loud whirring noise, the doors gave way and flung open. Whistling loudly, Thalia grabbed the fallen bags and nodded to the others.

The teens quickly dashed out of the hotel, and the other kids didn't follow them out. The daughter of Zeus glanced up at the sky and scowled. Lightning streaked across the now stormy sky, and rain poured down mercilessly. First thing was first. They needed to find out how long they had been in the hotel.

Percy raced up to the nearest newsstand and screamed into the air. That certainly wasn't a good sign. He marched back, his face angry and soaked. "Well?" Annabeth asked, careful not to sound rude. "What's up? What day is it? How long were we there?"

"June twentieth," the son of Poseidon spat through clenched teeth.

Thalia was sure her jaw hit the floor. That couldn't be right, could it? The four of them had spent five days in the Lotus Hotel and Casino. They had one day until the summer Solstice.


	20. The Perfect Height

**A/N: I took a little longer to get this one up, and I apologize. On the bright side (or the downside, depending on how you view it), it is the longest chapter as of yet. Thank you for all of your kind reviews, and I hope this chapter meets your expectations.**

**Disclaimer: If I somehow suddenly owned the series, I'd probably be too busy fan-girling, and wouldn't get around to posting this.**

* * *

The four teenagers wandered the shores of Santa Monica Beach, the sun beating down on their skin mercilessly. Thalia ran a hand through her tousled hair and sighed in exasperation. Her blue eyes watched in feigned interest as the son of Poseidon dived beneath the waves and disappeared.

After catching a cab to Los Angeles, thanks to their useful cards from the Lotus Casino, Percy had explained to the rest of them that he had dreamed he was supposed to go to Santa Monica Beach, to receive something. It sounded suspicious to Thalia, but if it were truly Poseidon wishing to reward his son, she trusted the facts. She had seen that the god actually cared for his son. Reluctantly, she had walked over to a nearby bench with her other two companions.

Percy hadn't been able to remember most of the dream, but he recalled the gist of it. The daughter of Zeus didn't like the thought of him going into the ocean alone. The situation was fishy, all puns aside. Along with the summoning, the dark-haired boy had been plagued with nightmares. That, specifically, was what worried her. Despite her usually confident and calm facade, Thalia had always been a worrier.

In the nightmare, a cold voice (which they all presumed belonged to Hades) demanded the return of two objects, rather than just the lightning bolt. But, if it were the Lord of the Dead, what else could he possibly want from them? They had nothing left to offer. Hell, they didn't even have the lightning bolt yet.

Annabeth sat down directly next to Thalia and cautiously grabbed onto her hand. The daughter of Zeus was slightly surprised, but slowly squeezed her hand in return. She could tell she wasn't fully forgiven by the blonde, but she sure was making progress. The brunette peered up at the sky, pondering when the boy could return from the water. It was already sunset, and they were quickly running out of time. What if the lightning bolt wasn't even in the Underworld? She really doubted Lord Hades had it, anyway. For Rhea sake, hadn't he asked her for it earlier on?

Thalia really had to tell Percy about her earlier encounters with the Lord of the Dead. If she didn't, she had a feeling things wouldn't work out in her favor.

"Thalia," a gentle voice murmured in her ear. The girl in question turned to see the speaker, Annabeth, frowning up at her. "What's got you thinking so hard?"

She shrugged in response. Honestly, she would really rather not go into it. It was horrible enough that she was stressing over the situation, how could she doom Annabeth to the same troubles? "Just wondering when Kelp for Brains is going to get back," she said.

"You two are a lot alike," the daughter of Athena pointed out, flashing a coy little smile.

Thalia snickered. "No, we aren't. I honestly don't see it. Why are you guys obsessing over that?"

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Sure," she said, obviously sarcastic. "Keep telling yourself that, Sparky."

The daughter of Zeus ruffled her curly blonde locks and laughed. "Watch yourself, Bird Brain."

"You're so mean," Annabeth griped, fixing her hair.

Grover smiled slightly from the right of the blonde and leaned forward to meet Thalia's gaze. "I apologize for not telling you I knew earlier," he said. "I just tried to stay out of it. I figured you'd have enough issues on your hands when Annabeth found out."

"Hey!" the youngest girl cried, slapping the satyr on the arm. "What is it, pick on Annabeth day?"

"Nah," the raven-haired demigoddess corrected, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "That's tomorrow."

"Great. Do you guys realize how much you suck right now?"

Thalia laughed, and Grover followed soon after. "We aren't that bad," he claimed, grinning.

The daughter of Zeus felt a smile drift onto her face. She hadn't been able to communicate this way with either of them, since the night on Half-Blood Hill. It was…nice. Even though she hadn't thought it was possible, she had missed them both excessively. It wasn't exactly factual, but she felt as if she had found a long-lost part of herself again. She had gone so long without friends in her short life, and whether she liked to admit it or not, it was slowly getting the better of her.

Sighing, she looked back over to the ocean. If he didn't come out of there soon, she was diving in there and fetching his lazy ass out. On second thought, she'd probably be incinerated upon entering her uncle's domain. She whistled lowly. Thalia would surely be avoiding _that _at all costs. She already had one uncle to worry about, after all.

Finally, a head of black hair rose from the surface of the water and Thalia stood. "Come on," she said to the others. "If we hurry, we can try to catch a bus to West Hollywood." Ah, good ole Hollywood. There was another place she was extremely familiar with.

Percy climbed from the water and they slowly approached, watching as he shoved something sparkling into the pockets of his shorts. His clothes were completely dry when he had resurfaced. "Hey, guys," he greeted them, a concern clouding his green eyes. "We don't have much time."

"Understatement," Thalia muttered.

"You can say that again," Annabeth agreed.

"Understatement."

"I don't think she meant literately, Thalia," Percy said, allowing himself a chuckle. "So, how are we going to get to DOA Studios?"

"The fuck we need to go to a studio for?" the daughter of Zeus asked before she could stop herself. She quickly blushed at the looks she was receiving, and chose not to elaborate further.

The gray-eyed girl laughed. "Language," she playfully admonished. "Gods, you've always had such a sailor-mouth."

"Has she really?" Percy asked, smug grin in place.

"No," Thalia cut the two of them off. "No, I haven't. She doesn't know what she's talking about. Do ya, Annie?"

"Yes, I do."

The brunette scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "Sure you do." An elbow dug into her side, and she glared at the blonde. Annabeth shrugged innocently. "Um, ouch," she muttered pointedly.

Grover clapped his hands together. "We have to get it together," he said, loudly. "We have less than a freaking day to get to DOA Studios," at Thalia's look of confusion, Percy filled her in, "and we don't even know where it is!"

Annabeth furrowed her brows and glanced to the tallest of the teens. "Do you know where that is?" she asked Thalia. When the other girl shook her head, the blonde frowned. "That was our last hope."

"Maybe it's just hidden from mortals," Percy said. "Don't worry, guys. We'll find it."

Grover sighed. "I sure hope so."

The four teenagers headed in the direction of the street. While Annabeth and Grover walked further ahead, Percy fell into line next to Thalia. She smiled at him, even though the expression on his face struck her as strange. "What's the game plan, captain?" he asked her.

"I'm not the leader of this quest," she said. "I'm just here to provide assistance."

"What about the lightning bolt?"

"Doesn't matter to me who returns it," she answered honestly. "As long as it is returned."

It was the truth. She didn't want the glory or a freaking Oscar for finding the damn thing. She just wanted order restored to the world. If they managed to avoid World War III, she would be a happy camper. That's all she wanted, really. Well, that and Percy's life. Once the council saw he was innocent, they hopefully wouldn't annihilate him.

"I need your help," Percy admitted. "I know I'm supposed to be the leader of this quest, but it's getting pretty heavy. I need help, and you're the only person I think can give me the best advice."

She would give the best advice? Yeah, right. She'd give good advice when Green Lantern bought a yellow number two pencil. Thalia flashed what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "What do you need help with, Sir Perseus?"

"That was lame."

"You're lame."

He brushed off her comment. The last thing he wanted to do was spur another argument. "How are we going to get to West Hollywood? What would be the most efficient way? That cab was pretty damn slow, and I don't think I want to get in another one of those for the rest of my life."

"A bus," she said. "It would probably be the fastest. Unless you think you can get me to a dark parking lot. I could work some electrical magic and hotwire a car." Thalia shrugged carelessly. Either method wouldn't bother her.

The son of Poseidon looked at her in surprise. "You don't think that's a bit too extreme?"

"Just a suggestion," she mumbled, shoving her hands into her pockets. Before piling into the cab, they had all stopped in restrooms and changed their attire. There was no way in hell Thalia was going to walk around in public with red sweatpants on. She could only be _so _pitiful before it became ridiculous.

"Bus it is," he said, sending her a smile. When she didn't respond, he raised his brows. "Are you all right? You look like something is upsetting you."

"I'm fine," she said, even though her voice didn't indicate any specific emotion. Thalia was never one to complain about her problems, unless she was complaining to herself. "Let's just get on the bus. The sooner we get to Dumbass Studios, the better."

"It's DOA Studios, actually."

"Does Dumb of Ass sound better to you?" she challenged, her nose twitching in annoyance.

"Dumbass works," he decided. "But, it is DOA—"

She groaned, interrupting him, "Give me a break."

The four of them arrived at the nearest bus stop in a matter of minutes. Thalia reasoned that this was because Los Angeles was such a huge place; it only made sense to have thousands of stops. Unfortunately, the bus showed up much later than they had reached the waiting bench. After a troublesome twenty minutes had passed, they found themselves lounging in the back of a Charter bus. Even though Percy and Grover had been perfectly fine with seats in the front of the vehicle, the girls had reasoned they did not want to get sued when Thalia punched some bratty kid in the face for kicking the back of her seat. There was a reason she didn't go to movie theaters.

Eventually, the bus came to a stop in front of a tall, boarded-up building. What kind of bus stopped in this kind of neighborhood? With the exception of her old school buses, Thalia had never ridden a bus into a bad side of town. There were bad neighborhoods everywhere in the world, and even the ritziest town was no exception. The teenagers piled off of the huge bus, paying a riding fee on the way out.

Thalia zipped up the flight jacket she had gotten from her father, and buried her hands into its pockets. She hadn't expected it to be so cold at night. Annabeth shivered next to her, all but freezing in her thin, gray jacket. Before she could take off hers and offer it, she saw Percy already removing his.

As the boy set it around the blonde's shoulders, the daughter of Zeus felt something strange rise in her chest. It bubbled its way to the surface of her face, and she scowled. Was she…jealous? What the hell did she have to be jealous of? A damn jacket? She wiped the look off of her face, and continued walking through the streets, the others following her lead.

"So, let me get this straight," the brunette started, smirking. "None of you have any idea where this place is, and yet you know the name of it?"

Annabeth nodded. "Pretty much."

"How do you even know this place is the Underworld?" the punk asked next, raising a brow in disbelief. "In case you guys haven't noticed, there are a million of places in the world. If this was just pulling a wild card, we've pretty much wasted all of our time."

Percy snorted. "Glad you aren't being pessimistic," he jibed sarcastically. "We got the address from Medusa's office."

Thalia nodded, mouthing words to herself while she was imagining the idea. "What would Hades need from her? Statues for Persephone's garden? I doubt they would want to be there. It's a scary place."

"You've seen it?" their satyr friend asked.

"Nope," the daughter of Zeus answered, her tone effectively ending the subject. "Where should we look first?"

"Maybe we should just roam the streets," the son of Poseidon said. "We can't just wait around and hope it finds _us_."

"Good idea," the blonde agreed. She was standing right next to Percy, her hand nearly coming into contact with his.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. Why the hell were they so close? Were they trying to pass on a disease or something? Would it _kill _them to be slightly more professional? To put it in a plainer sense, she didn't like the fact that the two of them were standing so close together. There was no reason for them to be, after all. The four of them were on a freaking quest, not on a double date.

The raven-haired demigoddess cleared her throat, quickening her steps. The sooner they got to the Underworld, the better. At least then Percy and Annabeth would be too preoccupied with saving their own hides, and wouldn't be able to play a game of boyfriend-and-girlfriend. It was making Thalia sick to her stomach.

Percy pointed to a television set, and his companions' eyes soon drifted to the window of an appliance store. On the screen, live on Barbara Walters, was his greasy stepfather. "Gabe," Thalia scoffed, cuffing her best guy friend's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, Percy. Everything is going to be fine. When we save your ma, I'm gonna have a serious talk with her about ditching that poor excuse of a man."

The son of Poseidon allowed himself a small smile, but quickly covered it up and continued walking. After asking several people, the teenagers were about fed-up with the town of Hollywood. Not one person could tell them where exactly the studio was, nor did they seem to know anything of its existence. The Mist was a horrible thing occasionally.

They walked down a few more streets before Percy began to anxiously tug on the sleeve of Thalia's leather jacket. She looked down at him, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I don't like the look of some of these people," he replied, glancing around cautiously. "I mean, I was born and raised in New York, so you'd think I'd be used to this kind of stuff. But, these guys look a lot more menacing than the gangs I'm used to seeing."

Thalia rolled her eyes. If she had a penny for every time she ran into a disturbingly cowardice gang on the streets of Los Angeles, she'd be richer than Donald Trump. "They're no worse," she said. "I promise you. They make look more intimidating, but that's only because you're not from around here."

"You are?" he asked, bewildered.

She chuckled. "Yeah. I've been around a lot of places, though. Mostly California, but I lived in Michigan for a while."

"Detroit?" he inquired.

Thalia shook her head, a smile on her face. "Around that area, but not exactly the D. I've lived in Warren, along with a few smaller towns. That was when I was younger, though. We moved back to LA when I was ten."

"We?"

"My mother and I," she clarified, forcing herself not to add a third name to the list.

"What was your mother like?" Boy, was he just trying to fuck up her night? It was going to turn out absolutely dreadful, anyway. He might as well take advantage of it.

"You ask a lot of questions, you know that?" she countered, resisting the urge to smoke. Even though she should have felt more comfortable, being back in one of her old towns was making her grow anxious. When she had lived in Hollywood, she wasn't the best kid. She had gotten into a lot of disturbing situations, and anyone on these streets could possibly recognize her as the eleven-year-old middle school dropout who used to break into houses with them.

If she were lucky, however, she'd be fortunate enough to avoid running into anyone who knew her. To her dissatisfaction, she had never been lucky. Trouble had always discovered ways to find her and ruin her life. As she watched a group of leather-clad teenagers beginning to stalk them from afar, she realized trouble was going to find her much sooner than she had believed it would.

"Guys," she warned in a whisper, trying not to make it obvious that she had spotted the teens. "Walk faster," the demigoddess urged again, picking up her own pace. "If they do somehow manage to corner us, let me take care of it. I've handled goons like this before."

The statement was only half-true. Thalia had encountered gangs like the one behind them in the past, but she had been in one of them. Not a very severe group, of course. She wasn't some kind of hardass street kid, although she would tell others different. But, she had done her fair share of dirty deeds while in Cali.

Annabeth looked nervous, but bravely attempted to disguise her emotions with a determined expression. "Turn left," she ordered.

After a few more turns and a little sprinting, they found themselves in the middle of an alleyway. By the time the teens had realized it was a dead-end, it was already too late for them to turn around and run a different way. The gang closed in on them from the entrance and Grover hid behind Percy. Thalia couldn't honestly blame the satyr. He didn't even have a weapon on him. What else could he do, beat them with reed pipes?

The one in the front, a tall boy with bleached blond hair, stepped forward and withdrew a knife from the pocket of his black jeans. He waved it in the air. The group of white boys stepped closer at this motion, as if it were some kind of signal.

Thalia sneered. _Looks like a bunch of rich pansies found their daddies' leather jackets and decided to take shitty pocketknives for a spin. _

Percy stupidly uncapped his sword and moved to step forward. The daughter of Zeus reached out and stopped him, deactivating the pen and stuffing it forcefully back into his pocket.

"Thalia!" he shouted incredulously.

Before another word could be said, the smallest boy from the group gasped. "No fuckin' way. Thalia? Is that you?"

The brunette's face contorted in ignorance. Who the shit was that? Whoever he was, he looked like Chewbacca chewed his greasy hair up and hawked it back onto his head. "Uh, who are you?" she dared to ask.

His eyes narrowed and he huffed. "Figures. You always were too good for me, right? I was just your loser best friend."

She seriously had no idea who this freak was. Resisting the urge to punch him in the nose, she settled for rolling her eyes. "Whoever you are, I'm not going to apologize for whatever I did to piss you off. Get the fuck over it, and go cry yourself to sleep."

Surprisingly, he was the first to attack. Lunging out with his small switchblade, he somehow managed to slice her on her hand before she realized he was toting a weapon. Thalia heard Percy growl beside her before taking out his sword once again. This time, she was too busy cradling her hand to stop him. The son of Poseidon swung his sword through the boy, and appeared shocked when it passed harmlessly through him. Well, what did he expect it to do? The boy was obviously mortal.

Before any of the white boys could react to the display, Percy yelled, "Run!" and the hauled ass out of the alleyway, roughly nudging the teens out of their way. They raced down the street again and turned a sharp corner, not knowing where in the hell they could possibly be headed.

"There!" Annabeth shouted, pointing to the only store open on the street, its neon lights brighter than the street lamps.

"Crusty's Water Bed Palace?" Grover read in disbelief. If it were up to solely Thalia, she would've renounced the idea of walking into the place. She had never met anyone named Crusty, and she hadn't ever planned on doing so.

"What the hell?" Percy said, flinging open the door to the shop. They all rushed inside, ran behind the closest waterbed, and ducked. The four of them watched in silence as the gang rushed past the front of the store, and disappeared further on down the street.

Grover panted loudly, standing up straight. "I think we lost them, guys."

"Who have you lost?" a voice called from behind the group.

Scared out of their pants, they all turned around to see a seven-foot-tall giant with a baldhead and a cheap suit from the seventies. His skin was leathery, gray and old, a set of thick-lidded eyes, and a chilling grin. For some reason, it made Thalia think of the tail of the Chimera. Just as reptilian and cold, his smile sent a fearful shock through her. The man approached them slowly. The silver chains around his neck jingled with the movement.

"Whom," Annabeth corrected in a mumble. The man continued smiling that disturbing smile, not hearing what the blonde had uttered.

"I'm Crusty," he introduced himself. _Yes, you are_, Thalia thought in disgust, wishing to recoil at the sight of his yellow smile.

"Sorry to barge in. We were just, um, browsing," Percy lied.

"You mean hiding from those snobby rich brats?" Crusty corrected. "They're always around. A lot of people find their way into my store, thanks to them. Say, would you four be interested in viewing my selection of waterbeds while you are here?"

"No," Thalia quickly said. "We must be getting on our way now—"

"You might as well," the man disagreed. "At least until you kids are positive that the no-good gang is gone."

None of them had the opportunity to argue any longer, seeing as the big man set his hand on Percy's shoulder and directed him deeper into the showroom. Thalia had to refrain from jumping all over the wicked beds. They were all unique and looked extremely comfortable.

"This," Crusty said, indicating a large satin-sheet bed with lava lamps in the headboard. The mattress vibrated wildly. "Million hand massage," he elaborated proudly. "Try it out! Take a nap! Whatever you want to do."

The three demigods were hesitant, but Grover dived right onto it. Crusty hummed. "Almost," he whispered to himself. "Almost."

"Almost what?" Percy asked.

Crusty was really started to creep Thalia out. As a child, her mother had told her never to trust a salesman. Now, she believed the advice was golden. She had a feeling they should have never walked into the waterbed store.

The man turned to Annabeth next. "Do me a favor, honey. Try this one over here. It looks like it may fit." Before the blonde could argue, he patted her reassuringly and led her over to the Safari Deluxe waterbed. The daughter of Athena made to turn out of his hold, but he violently pushed her onto the bedspread. Thalia's fists clenched. Who did this punk think he was?

"Hey!" Annabeth cried.

"Ergo," Crusty chimed with a snap of his fingers. Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, encasing both Grover and Annabeth, effectively trapping them to their mattresses.

"Not cool!" the satyr shouted. "Not cool at all!"

In seconds, Thalia was standing in front of the seven-foot man. Crusty brushed her presence off and turned to Percy with a mad grin. "Almost, darn it."

The son of Poseidon tried to step away, but then the giant wrapped his hands around the back of the teens' necks and steered them away from their friends. "Whoa, kids. Don't worry. You two are next."

"Let them go," the daughter of Zeus snarled through a clenched jaw.

Crusty gave her a smile, as if her _suggestion _was a silly request. "Of course. I've got to make them fit, first."

"What do you mean?" Percy asked. He glanced over to his female companion, as if wondering what they should do to get out of the situation. She sent him an equally helpless look. What was this guy, anyway? He had a grip like a professional wrestler.

"All beds are exactly six feet, you see," the giant pointed out. "Your friends are too short. So, I've got to make them fit."

"You're nuts," Thalia snorted.

Crusty looked at her sharply, but his harsh expression soon softened. "Say, how tall are you?"

Thalia almost shivered from his gaze. "A-about 5 '10, sir."

He grinned widely. "Not quite there, but I don't think it would be hard to get you to six feet." He hummed thoughtfully to himself. "I'll get to you in a minute. First thing is first. I can't stand imperfect measurements," he said, shaking his head in disapproval and looking Annabeth and the satyr up and down. "Ergo!"

A new set of ropes leaped from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around the teenagers' ankles, and then around their armpits. The ropes began to tighten, stretching the two victims.

Thalia swallowed back her fear and mustered up a dangerous glare. "Let them go," she asserted once again.

Crusty waved his hand in a dismissive manner. "Don't stress it, kid. These are stretching jobs. Adding maybe three or four inches to their spines. They might even live through it. Now, time to find beds for you two."

"Percy! Thalia!" Grover cried in warning.

The daughter of Zeus was renowned for jumping into random situations, but she refrained from trying to fight the giant. Despite her pride, even she knew her own limits. He would probably snap her neck before she managed to pull her watch from her jacket.

"Your name isn't Crusty," the son of Poseidon stated, sending Thalia a look of fright. She couldn't blame him; she probably looked just as terrified.

"Legally," the man told them, "it's Procrustes."

Thalia remembered the name from somewhere, but she couldn't quite recall where she had heard it. "The Stretcher," Percy said suddenly, assisting her. Her eyes widened in recognition. Procrustes was the giant who tried to kill Theseus on his way to Athens. Her father was right. She really needed to brush up on her knowledge of mythology. She should have made a connection earlier.

The man nodded. "But who can pronounce _Procrustes_?" he asked in disgust. "It's bad for business. The little business I get, anyway. Now Crusty, there's a name everyone can say."

"It's got a good ring to it," Percy agreed.

"You really think so?" The giant seemed slightly flattered.

"Oh, absolutely. And the workmanship on these beds is purely remarkable!"

_What the hell was he doing? _"In case you haven't noticed," Thalia whispered smartly. "Demigods aren't typically expected to communicate with monsters in a friendly manner. We're kind of supposed to kill them before they kill us."

"Speaking of kill," Crusty exclaimed suddenly, "I've found a killer bed for you, young Thalia!"

Did he just make a pun?

She gulped nervously and attempted to shake herself from his strong grip, but he only held on tighter and threw her towards a dark iron bed, clad with blood red silk sheets. Thalia fell back on the mattress, and struggled to climb back off before—

"Ergo!"

_Shit. _Ropes shot out from all sides of the bed and pinned her to the otherwise comfortable bed, and she soon found her ankles and arms tied as well. Crusty grinned crookedly. "Now that's what I call a compromise! I give it five minutes of stretching, and you'll be at six feet!"

The son of Poseidon bit down hard on his bottom lip, but quickly wiped the concerned expression from his features. The brunette demigoddess struggled against the ropes, only resulting in her being stretched at an even faster pace. Thalia winced, but eventually submitted. She hated it, but she knew she'd have to wait for Percy to swoop in and be the hero. He was their only hope of escape. The punk glanced to Annabeth, her face contorting in rage when she witnessed the girl crying out, her limbs being pulled in opposite directions. Grover was in an even worse position, as he was the shortest of them all.

Crusty turned to Percy with yet another thrilling smile. "I tell my customers they should appreciate my workmanship more, you know. But never have they mentioned a damn thing about it. Have you ever seen a waterbed with lava lamps built into the headboard?"

The son of the Sea God shook his head. "No," he replied. "I can't say I have."

"Exactly!" the giant exclaimed.

"Percy," Thalia called through gritted teeth. Before she could ask him what he thought he was doing, the daughter of Athena beat her to it.

"What in Hades are you doing?" the blonde yelled.

"Don't mind them," Percy scoffed indifferently. "The two of them are impossible." If he weren't joking, Thalia would kick his ass after they made it out of there. She had a feeling Annabeth would be willing to help her, too.

"Impossible?" Crusty repeated with a loud laugh. "Why, all of my customers are. Never six feet exactly. And then they have the nerve to complain about the size of my beds. If they were the right size, they wouldn't have a thing to complain about."

"What do you do if they're longer than six feet?" Percy asked. His curiosity always got the better of him, the brunette realized. Sometimes, that was a bad thing. This was easily one of those times. While they were being physically stretched, he was asking about the crazy giant's malicious tactics for altering a person's height.

"Oh, that happens all the time. It's a quick fix really." The man finally released Percy's neck, but reached behind a sales desk and pulled out a big double-bladed brass ax. "I just center the subject the best I can," he explained, holding up the ax with a twisted sense of pride, "and lop off whatever hangs over either end." Thalia fidgeted against the ropes, silently thanking her genes that she had not yet grown to be past six feet.

"Sensible," Percy commented, but it was clear he was anxious.

"I'm so glad to come across an intelligent customer!"

Thalia didn't know about intelligent. Searing pain jolted through her limbs as the ropes began to work even faster. She refrained from crying out, but her face was almost a deathly pale. Neither Annabeth nor Grover looked any better. Percy ran a hand through his messy hair, eyeing his friends worriedly.

Finally, something in her brain clicked. He had formed a plan. He wasn't just being an idiot. Her relief quickly fled from her when her legs and arms began to feel as if they were burning. If he had a plan, she hoped he'd go through with it soon. Even though she was already close to being six feet, there was absolutely no way she could survive having her spine stretched out.

"So, Crusty…" Percy started unsurely. He glanced at some overdone Honeymoon waterbed and smiled as if he were interested. "Does this one really have dynamic stabilizers to stop wave motion?"

"Why, of course! Try it out!" Crusty urged.

Thalia really, really hoped he wouldn't. Not only because she found his height cute, but she didn't think they'd be able to escape if the only hope they had left was busy having his limbs pulled from his body. If it were possible, she paled even more. She did not just think he was cute.

Shaking off her thoughts, she struggled to focus on the conversation.

"Yeah," the son of Poseidon remarked thoughtfully, nodding his head. "But would it work for a big guy like you? No waves at all?"

"Guaranteed," the giant said with a large, butterscotch grin.

"No way."

"Way."

"Show me!" Percy said excitedly.

Procrustes plopped down eagerly on the mattress, bouncing up and down in small motions. "No waves, see?"

Thalia would have smirked if she weren't already preoccupied with holding back the urge to scream. She realized what Percy was attempting to do, and she had to admit that the plan was brilliant. She could have never thought of something so creative. The brunette wasn't the best thinker, anyway. She had dropped out of school in the fifth grade, after all. Sometimes, she had trouble answering multi-step equations. That was proof enough of her ignorance. The year at Yancy had done nothing to help with her lack of academic knowledge, unfortunately.

The son of Poseidon snapped his fingers. "Ergo!"

Just as they had with the three of them, ropes sprung from nowhere and trapped Crusty against the bed. He thrashed around, trying to break through the hold. "Hey!" he yelled indignantly.

"Center him just right," Percy ordered.

At his command, the ropes readjusted and positioned Crusty's head above the headboard, and his feet hanging over the bottom. "No!" the giant shouted. "Wait! This is just a demo."

The demigod uncapped his sword, Riptide, and sneered. "A few simple adjustments…"

"You drive a hard bargain!" Crusty said. "Thirty percent off on selected floor models."

"The top seems like a great place to start," the son of Poseidon murmured to himself, raising his sword.

"No money down!" the giant attempted to persuade again. "Tell you what, good sir. No interest for six months."

With a swift swing of his sword, Crusty's head rolled from his body. Within seconds, all of his body disintegrated into yellow powder. Percy coughed, walking over to Thalia and cutting her free. He freed Annabeth and Grover next.

"You fucking suck," the daughter of Athena snapped, rubbing feeling into her sore limbs. Grover nodded his agreement, looking as if he were about to pass out on the floor.

"Language," Thalia teased, quoting the blonde's earlier statement. Annabeth stuck her tongue out at the daughter of Zeus, causing the taller of the two to laugh.

"You look taller," Percy mocked the girls.

"Very funny," Annabeth said. "Be faster next time, would you? If Thalia gets any taller, she'll have no other choice but to join a circus."

"Watch it," the daughter of Zeus warned. "It's not that tall, anyway. I'm sixteen. It's not a big deal for me to be around six feet. I don't know why you have to continue bringing it up."

"How else would we pick on you?" the blonde challenged, grinning. "You're freakishly tall."

"You're freakishly short," the brunette countered. "I'm the normal one here. You guys are weird."

"That's called average," Grover joked.

Percy blew his bangs from his eyes. "How are we going to find the entrance to the Underworld?" he asked, looking around at each of his companions.

The daughter of Zeus glanced at the worn bulletin board behind Crusty's sales desk. She saw an advertisement for Hermes Delivery Service, and another for the All-New Compendium of L.A. Area Monsters. "The only Monstrous Yellow Pages you'll ever need!" it read. Thalia shook her head slowly, smirking. Did mythological businesses really feel as if they should endorse slogans?

Underneath the other two, was a bright orange flier for DOA Recording Studios, offering commissions for heroes' souls. Some silly logo decorated the top of the paper, and DOA's address was right underneath with a map. She knew exactly where it was, too. Unfortunately, it was a freaking block from where they were.

_Jackpot, _Thalia thought begrudgingly. She was not looking forward to going to the Underworld. Her first encounter with Hades had been far from pleasant, and she had a feeling he wasn't going to let her escape so easily this time around. She was just sorry she had to bring the rest of her friends into it.

Tearing down the orange flier, she set it down flat on the desk. Seeing this, the other teenagers walked over and observed it. Percy clucked his tongue, calling the attention of the others. Sighing heavily, he eyed them with an apologetic look in his sea green eyes.

"I've got bad news and good news," he announced. "Which would you prefer to hear first?"

"The good," the satyr of the group answered, glancing to his other companions for approval. "Keep up tradition, yeah?"

The son of Poseidon frowned. "We're a block from the Underworld."

Annabeth bit down hard on her bottom lip, nearly drawing blood. Thalia ran a hand soothingly across her back, wishing she wouldn't worry so much. "And the bad news?"

He smirked, and the daughter of Zeus resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She should have been expecting his response. "We're a block from the Underworld."


	21. Sour Goodbye

**A/N: Here it is, chapter twenty-one. Reviews are always welcome. Also, this chapter contains some spoilers for the Demigod Diaries, but it does not go into detail.**

**Disclaimer: I do not take credit for Percy Jackson, or any of Rick Riordan's ideas/characters.**

* * *

"How did you know that kid?" Percy asked Thalia as they stepped out of the mattress store. Annabeth and Grover trailed a small distance behind the two brunette demigods. The question had been bothering the son of Poseidon since the boy had first walked forward to address her. _You were always too good for me, right? _The smaller teenager had asked rhetorically. _I was just your loser best friend._

Thalia exhaled heavily, before shrugging. "I didn't recognize him at the time. But now that I've had a chance to think about it, I vaguely remember him."

"Were you guys…you know, close?" he asked, anticipating an upsetting answer. He didn't know why he cared, but he didn't like the thought of the daughter of Zeus hanging around that punk. "How do you know him?"

"Of course we weren't close," she said, scoffing. "At least, I don't believe we were. Don't you think I would've remembered him?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"How did you know him? Do you remember that?" Percy pestered.

He knew he was being intrusive, but he wanted to know. She had told him that she had dealt with gangs before, but why would she associate with people that were in them? Percy reminded himself that he knew very little about her past and childhood. Would she close herself off and end the conversation if he continued to pry?

Thalia kept her face blank, but her eyes gleamed knowingly. "No," she obviously lied. "I don't remember how I know him."

Rather than call her out on her fibbing, he sighed and dug his hands into his pockets. If she weren't ready to tell him, he wouldn't push her. They turned onto Valencia Boulevard, and were surprised by how dim the streetlights were. Percy led the rest of them over to a tall, shadowed building and peered up. In bold gold letters etched into the marble were the words: DOA RECORDING STUDIO.

Even though it was nearing midnight, the lobby was brightly lit and crowded with people. A sort of guard lingered behind a security desk, an earpiece dangling in his ear and a pair of sunglasses shielding his eyes. The man was rough looking, and completely intimidated the son of Poseidon. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of the older man. If they were lucky, the guard wouldn't give them any trouble.

"Okay," Percy said, turning to look at the rest of his companions. "Remember the plan?"

"What would that be?" Thalia asked, wringing her hands nervously. Hadn't she been to the Underworld before? Why was she so fidgety? And, Percy _knew _she hadn't been listening to him when he explained earlier.

"Relax," Annabeth said, patting her on the shoulder. "Percy doesn't actually have a plan. He's just going to waltz in there, lie to the guy behind that desk, get us into the Underworld, and try to negotiate with Lord Hades. He's not pulling a wild card."

The daughter of Zeus released the breath she was holding and nodded. "I didn't think we had an actual plan."

"Hey!" the son of Poseidon argued. "Yes, I do! Remember? To deal with Cerberus. Guys, were any of you listening at all?"

Thalia grinned. "Oh, yeah. I thought I saw you breaking off the post of a waterbed."

Grover sniffed the air anxiously. "Guys, if we're going to go, we need to go soon."

"Monsters?" the blonde demigoddess asked. "How many do you smell? Where are they coming from?"

The satyr shook his head. "I'm not sure if there are any monsters. It's merely a suspicion." He smirked at Thalia. "You hangin' in there, Sparky?"

Blue eyes pierced him. "I'm fine," the girl in question snarled. "Thanks a lot, Goat Boy."

To motivate himself, the demigod pulled the three ocean pearls from his pocket and rolled them around in his hand. It was his first gift from his father, and they were supposed to be his way out of the Underworld. Rather than visit him in person, his lousy dad had sent a Nereid after him. Thalia was one lucky girl. She had actually met her father on several occasions, and he never sent ocean creatures to deliver messages to her.

"What's bothering you?" the tallest asked him, frowning in concern. Her eyes caught sight of the pearls and she raised an eyebrow in question. "What are those?" she asked.

"A Nereid gave them to me at Santa Monica Beach and said they were from my father. They're supposed to help us somehow," he answered, frustration evident in his voice.

"You wish he would've brought them himself," she guessed knowingly. He nodded in reply, stuffing the pearls back into his pocket. "Your father is busy, Percy. He has oceans to take care of, literately. My Dad has sent messengers after me, you know."

"What?" he asked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Amalthea?" Annabeth asked excitedly. "You've told me about her! She helped you and Luke find Aegis, right?"

Thalia nodded, but she didn't look too happy. Wasn't Aegis the shield that Athena had created for Zeus? "Yeah," she said, before activating her bulky, steel wrist brace. Her menacing shield spiraled out, the face of Medusa striking fear in each of the teenagers. She quickly retracted it and sighed. "She guided me to good things."

"Who is Amalthea?" Percy asked. The name sounded vaguely familiar to him, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before.

"When Rhea saved baby Zeus from being devoured by Kronos," Annabeth said, "she hid him in a cave. There, a goat named Amalthea took care of him and nursed him until he was old enough to feed himself."

"Dad sent her for me," Thalia explained. "I've only actually caught her once, and that was when I got Aegis. I haven't seen her since then."

Percy snickered. "So...when you had no food, did you have to feed from-"

"This is nice and all," Grover said, cutting off whatever Percy was about to say, "but we don't exactly have time for messing around. The sooner we get in there, the better."

Percy smiled at Thalia reassuringly. "Ladies first," he said, opening the door to the lobby. Grover stepped over the threshold first, and the girls held back their laughs. The son of Poseidon rolled his green eyes, but walked in after his friends.

Eerily relaxing music sounded out of hidden speakers. The entire room was painted gray, the carpet matching the walls. Strange plants grew in the corners of the room, resembling the hands of skeletons. Every piece of furniture was the finest leather. Percy would've taken a seat, but all of the couches and chairs were full. People who were not able to find a seat, stood around and waited for the elevator. No one talked to anyone else, and rather stayed to himself or herself. If the son of Poseidon focused on one person for too long, they began to look almost transparent.

The four of them walked up to the guard's podium and tried to shake off their anxiety. Even though he couldn't see the man's eyes, Percy felt as if the emotionless gaze was burning him. The sharply dressed man was even taller than Thalia, and they all had to look up to him. His bleached blond military cut hair contrasted vastly with his chocolate skin, and if he weren't so intimidating Percy would've laughed.

The son of Poseidon glanced down at the silver nametag, placed above the lapel of the tall man's silk Italian suit. "Your name is Chiron?" he asked in bewilderment.

The guard leaned across the desk. He flashed a serpent like smile. "What a precious young lad," he said, his voice holding a strange accent. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"

"N-no," Percy stuttered, and cursed how frightened he sounded.

"Sir," the man added.

"Sir," the demigod repeated.

The man indicated his nametag and spoke slowly, as if he believed the children were incapable of understanding otherwise, "Can you read this, lad? My name is C-H-A-R-O-N. Charon. Say it with me. CARE-ON."

"Charon," Percy echoed.

"Very good," the man congratulated sarcastically. "Now, try _Mr. _Charon."

"Mr. Charon."

"All right," he said, leaning back. "I hate being confused with that old horse man. Now, what can I do for you little dead ones?"

Annabeth cleared her throat, and Percy had to refrain from sighing in relief. He didn't know what to say to Charon. "We want to go to the Underworld," she stated blankly.

Charon's mouth twitched in amusement. "Well, that's certainly refreshing. Very straightforward. No screaming or complaints about how you were too young to die. No arguing. Tell me, young ones, how did you happen to die?"

He glanced to Thalia, his tortoise shades making it impossible to see his eyes. The daughter of Zeus gulped. "Uh…" she started, obviously trying to come up with something. _What kind of person forgot how they died? _Percy thought to himself, resisting the urge to smile. "Bank robbery," she said, almost too quickly.

"All four of you were killed in a bank robbery?" he asked, sounding mildly impressed. The teens nodded. "How did that happen?"

Percy inhaled deeply. Would Thalia be able to come up with a story? It shouldn't be too hard for her. According to her, she had spent a lot of time on the streets when she was younger. In order to avoid the government, she would have had to lie occasionally.

"We were crossing the street, on our way to the bank, when we got hit by the getaway car," she explained.

"A car managed to kill all four of you?" He looked suspicious.

"It was a semi," Percy said. "They, uh…stole a lot of cash."

Thalia snickered, but bit her lip to refrain from laughing aloud. "Really?" she whispered teasingly.

"Say," Charon began suddenly, leaning back over the podium to stare at Thalia. "Haven't I seen you before? Were you on television or something?"

The daughter of Zeus looked surprised. Percy reached over and rubber her back soothingly. "I've never met you," the brunette admitted. "I'm not on television."

Charon hummed thoughtfully, turning back to a sheet of paper in front of him. "I don't suppose any of you have the money to pay your passage? Adults usually have their American Express cards on them, or I'm able to charge their last bill. Teenagers, on the other hand, never die prepared. You'll probably be hanging around here for a few centuries."

"Oh, but we have coins," Percy said, setting a few drachmas on the podium. Thalia nudged him roughly in warning. When he turned to look at her, she sent him an enraged glare that confused him. What the hell was she pissed about? He was just trying to pay their way into the Underworld.

Charon wet his lips hungrily. "My, these are real gold drachmas. I haven't seen these in…" Suddenly, his head snapped up. "You couldn't read my name correctly," he accused. "Are you dyslexic, lad?"

"No," the son of Poseidon argued. "We're just dead."

"Everyone knows the dead can't read," Thalia muttered, mocking him. He shot her a look, but she ignored him.

Charon leaned forward once again. Sniffing the air, he growled low in his throat. "You aren't dead. You're godlings. I should've known."

"We're getting into the Underworld," Thalia insisted, stepping closer. If Charon weren't so tall, she might've scared him into submission. However, the man in front of them made the daughter of Zeus look like a toddler.

Charon snarled again, causing the people in the lobby to begin pacing about anxiously. A few lit up cigarettes, and Percy could tell his brunette friend was fighting off the urge to do the same. "Leave while you can," the guard offered. "I've just take these drachmas and pretend I never saw you."

When he reached out for the coins, the son of Poseidon hurriedly snatched them from the desk. "No service, no tip," Percy quipped.

Again, a blood-chilling sound poured from Charon's lips. The spirits of the dead frantically banged on the elevator doors. "It's a shame," Annabeth said. "We had a lot more to offer."

Grover held up the bag of drachmas they had retrieved from Crusty's office and ran his fingers tauntingly through the gold coins inside.

"Do you think I can be bought, godlings?" Charon asked, although it sounded more like a purr than a threat. "Out of curiosity, of course, how much do you have?"

Percy smirked. They had him interested. "Plenty," the demigod assured. "I bet Hades doesn't pay you well enough for such hard work."

"You don't know the half of it," he griped. "How would you like to babysit boring spirits all day?"

Grover shook his head. "I don't think anyone would like that."

"You deserve better than that," Thalia said, shaking her head. "Maybe some appreciation from your boss. A little pay raise for the holidays. Maybe a few vacation weeks."

"Exactly," Charon remarked, eyeing the daughter of Zeus with newfound interest. "You never find any respectable demigods anymore. Anyway, no. I don't get any of that. Lord Hades thinks _he _has it bad. He's constantly complaining about how crowded it is down there."

Percy slowly stacked coins on the podium once again. "I must say, lad," Charon said, "you're starting to talk some sense now. If only a little."

"We could mention a pay raise while we're talking to Hades," Percy said.

Charon sighed. "The boat is almost full. I might as well add you four." He stood, scooped the money into his palm, and walked out from behind the desk. "Come along, now."

The four teenagers followed him to the elevator, brushing past frenzied spirits on the way. They piled into the elevator, cursing the small area. It was also crowded with spirits. After Charon shouted out a few warnings to the spirits in the lobby, the elevator doors shut and they shot down once he slid a key into a panel.

"What happens to them?" Annabeth asked. "The people in the lobby, I mean."

"Absolutely nothing at all," Charon answered honestly. "They're stuck in there for years. Some times forever, if I'm not feeling generous."

"Oh," the daughter of Athena said. "That's…fair, I guess."

Charon chuckled, a cold and hoarse sound. "Death isn't fair. Wait until it's your turn to die, young one. It'll probably be soon, judging by where you're headed."

Thalia grabbed the blonde's hand in hers and squeezed it reassuringly. "We'll get out alive," Percy said bravely.

The tall ferryman laughed once again. "Sure you will," he said unhelpfully.

The elevator stopped suddenly, before lurching forwards. Percy flattened a hand against the wall in a futile attempt the steady his uneasy stomach. The air around them became misty. The spirits glimmered, before they were standing in long, gray robes. Charon wore a lengthy black robe, his eyes empty and radiating darkness and despair. His skin grew transparent, as gossamer as the spirits.

Percy blinked hard, willing the ground to stop shaking violently. He was getting sick. When he opened his eyes again, they were no longer in the elevator. They were in a wooden barge. Charon stood, poling the spirits and questing teens through an oily body of water. The son of Poseidon looked over the edge and furrowed his eyebrows. The river was swimming with bones, dead fish, toys, diplomas, and flowers.

"The River Styx," Thalia said, although she didn't sound surprised.

"It's so…" Annabeth murmured.

"Polluted?" Charon completed. "For thousands of years, mortals have thrown in anything and everything while coming across—hopes, dreams, wishes that were doomed from the beginning. Bunch of worthless waste, if you ask me."

Dark mist curled from the surface of the river. The shore shined a toxic green. Percy felt panic flood his chest. Why had he thought this was a good idea? The dead surrounded him. He could think of quite a few places he would rather be. Thalia reached for his hand with her free one and intertwined their fingers.

Percy knew he shouldn't think anything of the small gesture—she was holding Annabeth's hand, too—but he couldn't help the way his heart sped up from the touch. She smiled at him, and the pounding in his chest was enough to make him want to sign himself into the emergency room. There was no way that could be healthy. Somehow, even though he was pretty sure his body shouldn't be reacting that way, it felt right. He gripped her hand tighter and flashed her a shaky grin.

They neared the shoreline. Jagged black rocks and charcoal volcanic sand littered the ground. The shores ended at the base of a high stonewall, around one hundred yards from the water. The wall stretched off into either direction. A sound echoed from the green fog—the growl of a large beast.

Charon grinned wickedly. "Looks like Three-Face is hungry," he joked, looking to the teens. "Bad news for you, godlings."

The bottom of the boat slid onto the dark sand and the spirits began to exit. Percy heard Thalia humming a Christina Aguilera song, but chose not to make fun of her. She probably didn't even realize she was doing it. Besides, she was raised in the nineties. It's not like she didn't know artists of that time.

"I'd wish you four some luck, but that doesn't exist down here," Charon said. "Oh, and if you will, don't forget to mention that pay raise."

After the teens climbed out of the boat, he poled his way back up the river. They followed the long line of spirits. Percy was certainly taken off guard by the entrance to the Underworld. Excusing the pun, it resembled hell. It looked more like airport security than a path. Each line had metal detectors and beyond them, there were booths manned by ghosts in black robes.

The howling of Cerberus was even louder, but the three-headed dog was nowhere in sight. Spirits drifted off into one of three lines. Two were marked ATTENDANT ON DUTY and one was named EZ DEATH. The latter line was moving along rather quickly, as opposed to the others.

"What do you figure?" Percy asked his friends.

Annabeth, of course, was the first to answer. "The fast line must go straight to the Asphodel fields," she reasoned. "Some people don't want to risk the decision of the judges not going in their favor, so they take the easy way out."

"Oh," Percy muttered. There were plenty of questions he wanted to ask, but he told himself they could wait. Pulling away from Thalia's hand, and watching as she did the same to Annabeth, Percy continued to walk forward.

The howling was so loud now, the teenagers felt the ground tremble beneath them. Then, the green fog in front of them floated away to reveal a large, shadowy creature. Cerberus was half-transparent, and blended in with whatever he was standing in front of. Only his teeth and eyes were clearly visible.

Percy gasped. "He's a Rottweiler."

"Are you guys seeing him better?" Thalia asked, brushing off his statement.

The son of Poseidon raised his brows in thought. Annabeth gulped. "I think," she provided, "it's because we're closer to being dead."

The middle head swiveled towards them and sniffed the air. It growled at them. "It can smell the living," Percy said.

Grover swallowed thickly, his voice cracking as he spoke. "But that's okay," he said. "Because we have a plan."

"Right," the blonde agreed halfheartedly, taking a deep breath. "A plan."

Percy dug the bedpost from his bed. They stepped closer, and had to hold their ground when the middle head snarled again. The demigod turned to his satyr friend. "Can you understand what he's saying?"

"Oh, yeah," Grover said anxiously. "I can understand it, all right."

"What's he saying?" the daughter of Zeus inquired, eyeing the monster uneasily.

"I don't think humans have an exact word for it."

Percy worked up the nerve to meet the creature's eyes. "Hey there, fella," he called up. "I bet they don't play with you much, do they?" It roared once again and the demigod grimaced. "Good boy."

Shaking off his fear, the son of Poseidon waved the post in the air. The middle head followed the movement, but the other two heads didn't waver and continued to stare menacingly at him. He threw the stick and shouted, "Fetch!"

Unfortunately, it landed directly in the River Styx. Cerberus stared, unimpressed, and looked like he wanted to stomp the teens into a million little pieces. _So much for the plan, _Percy thought dejectedly.

Grover made a weak sound in the back of his throat. "Percy?"

"Yeah, man?"

"I just thought I'd let you know. Cerberus is giving us ten seconds to pray to the god of our choice. After that, we're going to start looking like chew toys."

"Wait!" the daughter of Athena yelled, slinging her bag around her front and digging through it.

Thalia nudged her gently. "What are you doing, Annie?"

"Hush!" the blonde scolded, smacking the taller girl's forearm.

"Five seconds," Grover warned.

Annabeth pulled a large rubber ball out of her backpack. It was the size of a softball and marked with the Waterland logo. Before any of her friends could prevent her from doing so, she stepped up to Cerberus and held the ball to his gaze. "See the ball, Cerberus?" she asked. "You want it? Sit!"

The three-headed beast looked just as surprised as the rest of them. His heads turned sideways and his nostrils flared.

"Sit," Annabeth ordered again.

Cerberus licked his lips, shifted on his haunches, and sat obediently. He crushed spirits that were passing beneath him, and they all dispersed into the mist. "Good boy," the blonde congratulated, throwing him the rubber ball.

He easily caught it in his middle mouth and the other heads attempted to snatch it from him. "Drop it," Annabeth commanded.

What was she trying to do? After Cerberus no longer had the ball, he was coming after them!

His heads stopped battling each other and all three sets of eyes fixed on her. The dog let out a scared whimper before dropping the ball to her feet. She didn't hesitate in picking it up, even though it was covered in monster saliva.

"Good boy," she said again. She turned to the other three. "Go now. The EZ DEATH line—it's faster."

"But—" Thalia and Percy began to protest simultaneously.

Annabeth glared. "Now," she ordered, in the same voice she had used on Cerberus. Percy nearly shivered. It was terrifying.

The three teens inched cautiously towards the dog, making to walk beneath it. Cerberus growled in warning. "Stay!" the blonde shouted. "If you want the ball, stay."

He whimpered in reply, but remained as he was.

"What about you?" Percy asked in concern.

"I know what I'm doing, Percy," Annabeth said, although she sounded unsure. "I'm pretty sure."

Thalia grabbed onto her arm. "Be careful," she said, her voice steely. Percy realized she always got that way when she was worried. Her voice grew serious and almost projected itself as angry. They walked underneath the dog. Eventually, they made it safely to the other side.

"Good dog!" Annabeth called up. She lifted the red ball and threw it up again. The left head quickly caught it and the other two struggled to snatch it away. While the beast was distracted, she briskly walked under its belly and met up with the others at the metal detectors.

"How did you do that?" Percy asked.

"Obedience school," the daughter of Athena answered breathlessly. Thalia flashed her a look of recognition. Percy had a feeling that she had heard the story before. There were tears in the blonde's eyes. "When I was little, at my dad's house, we had this Doberman…"

"Never mind that!" Grover said. "Come on."

They began to bolt through the line, when they heard a loud whimper from behind them. All four of the teens spun around to see a confused Cerberus, the red ball in pieces by his feet. "Good boy," Annabeth repeated, although her voice was weak and uncertain.

The monster's heads quirked to the side, as if it were actually concerned for her. "I'll bring you another ball soon," Annabeth promised, her voice heavy with despair. "Would you like that?"

The dog whimpered again, and Percy could see that it was taking the blonde's every nerve to keep from giving in to the monster. "I'll come visit you soon," she said. "I-I promise." The daughter of Athena turned to the rest of them. "Let's go."

Percy and Thalia walked through the metal detectors first, and sirens immediately wailed. An overhead voice warned others of magical possessions. Cerberus barked loudly. They burst through the line, not bothering to look behind them. Within minutes, they had found a hiding place in the rotting trunk of a black tree. Security ghosts raced past them, completely oblivious to their location. The ghouls called for the Furies' assistance.

"What have we learned today, children?" the satyr asked them, his voice a whisper.

"Always pack more than one rubber ball?" Thalia guessed, shrugging carelessly.

Grover smirked. "No," he said. "We've learned that Percy's plans really, really bite."

"Even monsters need a little attention," Annabeth argued. It was clear she was defensive of the three-headed dog. Percy wondered if she really cared about the Doberman she had. What had happened to it?

The daughter of Zeus wrapped an arm around Annabeth and Percy pretended not to hear her soothing whisper or see the blonde wipe a tear from her cheek. "It wasn't your fault. Nothing was your fault. They didn't realize what they had in you, until you were gone."


	22. Fallible Betrayal

**A/N: Over 7,000 words. I would've broken this up into sections, but I don't feel as if the chapters would flow very well if I chose to do that. So, I apologize for the 16-page chapter. Hope I didn't scare you off with that previous sentence. There are three or four more chapters left in the story, and I would like to thank all of those who have stayed with me throughout the progression of this fanfic. I appreciate each and every review. **

**Disclaimer: The Percy Jackson series and the characters in it belong to Rick Riordan. ****I only own my over-the-top descriptions.**

* * *

The Fields of Asphodel were certainly disappointing, Thalia decided as she observed her surroundings. It was so very crowded, that she began to think of the DOA lobby as spacious. Black grass appeared deader than the spirits stomping over it, and clumps of dark trees known as poplars grew in clumps across the busy area. The ceiling of the cavern was so high above them; the daughter of Zeus mentally compared it to compacted storm clouds in the night sky.

If it hadn't of been for the stalactites glowing menacingly from the ceiling, she would've thought the sight was almost beautiful. Seeing the several broken shards of stalactites lying tauntingly on the grass, Thalia gulped and tried not to think about the fact that one could fall at any moment and impale her skull.

The four of them weaved through the crowd, attempting to appear as if they belonged. Security ghouls rushed right pass them, not even noticing them among the never-ending pile of spirits. Thalia started to think about her mother. Was she down here? Was she still in the lobby? She doubted she would miss seeing her if she was in the waiting room. The daughter of Zeus searched for a familiar face in the sea of ghosts. Had her mother already made it to the Fields? The brunette swallowed thickly, considering the chances of her mom ending up in the Fields of Punishment. Her mother hadn't been a role model, after all.

Jason. What about Jason? Charon had said that younger people never came prepared for the Underworld. Did her mother manage to pay his passage fee, as well? Was he even dead? She couldn't find them anywhere. Where were they? Why couldn't she find them? She was sure she'd get whiplash from how fast her head was turning in either direction.

She had to find them. She wanted to make sure they were happy. Thalia never even got a chance to say goodbye to either of them, and the regret ate at her day after day. Nightmares haunted her. She _needed_ to find them. Not for her own relief, either. She missed them, obsessively so. The brunette expected to miss her younger brother, but never did she believe she would ever miss her alcoholic mother.

The faces of the spirits were nearly impossible to decipher. They shimmered like the sun on a misty morning, their features clouded from her gaze. All of the ghosts looked similar, only their distinct forms acting as an indication of their gender. Their mouths were twisted into permanent frowns, all of them appearing confused and frustrated. The only sound emitting from them was a light chattering, like rats scurrying away from a large house cat.

Despite her own inner turmoil, Thalia couldn't help but pity the dead. They weren't frightening or intimidating. They were depressed.

"Thalia!" Annabeth whispered harshly. "What are you doing? Your head is going to fall off if you keep shaking it around like that."

Percy frowned. "Do you think you know someone down here?"

"You can't make out their faces," Grover complained, his eyebrows furrowing together.

"I don't know," the daughter of Zeus answered honestly. "I don't know if I know anyone down here. I haven't heard any news."

"About who?" the blonde demigoddess questioned. "Who do you know that's dead?"

Thalia wiped at her suddenly heated eyes. Shaking her head, she ran a worried hand through her short hair. "My mother," she said, finally. "Dad told me she died a year ago. She was driving in the rain, and spun out in the middle of traffic. The people she hit were all right, but she didn't make it."

"Your mother is dead?" the son of Poseidon asked, almost in awe. Thalia resisted the urge to reach out and smack him across his face. He didn't have to sound so damn surprised about it. "I'm sorry," he apologized sincerely. "You don't have to talk about it."

Thalia nodded, pretending to be unaffected by his words. Inside, she was smiling like a moron. Percy was such a sweet, compassionate person. He genuinely cared about how she was feeling, and it caused butterflies to rise in her stomach. She didn't want his pity, but for some reason it didn't feel like a pitiful reassurance. He wanted to cheer her up. He wasn't apologizing out of obligation. Why was he being so nice to her? Why was he always so kind? It was an admirable trait; in fact, it was one she wished she had.

"Thank you," she mumbled, readjusting the straps of their blue nylon bag. Her shoulders ached from carrying it for so long. "I really appreciate it, Perce."

The son of the Sea God blushed, and she found herself confused as to why he was experiencing such a reaction. "It's no problem," he said, almost shyly. "I don't really understand how you're feeling about it, but my mom's parents died when she was young. Plane crash took them out."

Thalia quirked a small smile. "As long as she doesn't blame my father or me, I think we'll get along just fine." She sighed. "A lot of people blame plane crashes on Zeus, you know, which is totally unreasonable."

Annabeth scoffed. "Zeus is the Lord of the Sky, not the freaking god of plane engines. There's no telling when one will have complications. It's just the twist of fate that is left up to mortals."

Grover smirked. "Nearly everyone at camp would disagree with you three. They think every god is to blame, when something tragic happens in their domain."

"That's stupid," Percy claimed. "I know I'm not the biggest fan of them, but not absolutely everything can be blamed on the gods."

They continued to follow the newest line of spirits into a black-tented pavilion. "Judgment pavilion," Annabeth supplied for the rest of them. "Dictates whether or not they go to Elysium, or if they are eternally damned."

From the back of the tents spurred two separate lines. To the left, security ghouls led spirits down a rocky path to the Fields of Punishment. The Fields of Punishment were raging with forever-burning fires and served as a minefield of cruel damnation. Thalia could make out even the most distinctive cries of horror, and she knew she would never want to know what lied beyond the barbwire barrier. The worst of it was shielded from their eyes, but they could all faintly make out people being chased by demons and burned at the stake. Opera music blared through the field and the daughter of Zeus didn't bother to hold back her grimace.

The brunette was only barely able to make out the form of the legendary Sisyphus, repeatedly attempting to push his boulder to the top of the gloomy hill.

The line heading to the right was obviously brighter. It led to a homely, gateway community, its outer walls shrouded in gold lining. Luxurious houses of every era known to man rested within the village. The colorful grass shimmered like a rainbow, and Thalia couldn't help but compare it to the ebony shards and plants found in the Fields of Asphodel. Flowers of unnatural, yet beautiful, colors decorated the lawns. While the Fields of Punishment emitted a smell of blood and despair, the safe village radiated deliciously cooked meals and unfathomable happiness.

Elysium.

A sparkling, crystal blue lake sat amidst the joyous town, surrounded by three small islands. The Isles of the Blest, Thalia recognized. It was for the people who chose to be reborn three times, and achieved Elysium each of those times.

"That's what it's all about," Annabeth said, sighing wistfully. "That's where the heroes go."

Thalia found it slightly depressing how sparse the population of Elysium was. It seemed that there were more people who lived their lives selfishly, as opposed to how many humans willingly sacrificed themselves for others. So few people did any good in their lives.

As the demigods and satyr continued further into the Fields of Asphodel, the colors began to fade from their clothing and the already gloomy atmosphere darkened remarkably. The deeper they went, the fewer spirits there were. They walked for miles before they heard a menacing shriek. On the horizon, was a spookily glittering obsidian palace. The Furies circled above the parapets, screeching in warning. Thalia had a gut feeling that the demons had been expecting them.

"I suppose it's too late to turn back," Grover said, gulping.

Percy, looking very unsure, steeled his nerves and faced the rest of them. "We'll be fine," he said. Thalia could tell he was trying his best to sound confident, but he was far from it.

Grover looked like he was going to object, but something seemed to take him off guard and he yelped. His sneakers sprouted wings and his legs shot forward. He landed flat on his back in the grass. Thalia raised an eyebrow. There were those strange flying shoes again. What god had those again? Hermes? How the hell did the satyr have a pair?

"Grover," Annabeth said. "Stop messing around."

"But, I didn't—"

He yelped again. His shoes flapped frantically. They rose from the ground and began to carry the satyr away from the rest of them. "Maia!" he shouted, looking close to tears. "Maia, damn it! Call the police, somebody!"

Percy was the first of the three to react. He reached out to snag Grover's hand, but he didn't act quickly enough. The satyr rapidly shot downhill, and the demigods hurriedly chased after him, struggling to keep up. Even Thalia, the fastest runner out of the group, wasn't able to keep up.

"Untie the shoes!" the daughter of Athena yelled helpfully.

Unfortunately, it wasn't physically possible to calmly untie a pair of shoes while they were propelling someone at the speed of light. He attempted to sit up to get to his shoes, but he was unable to. When it looked like the satyr was going to break directly through the gates of Hades' palace, he veered sharply to the right and began to travel full speed into another direction.

The demigods were running as fast as they could, trying in vain to keep up with their friend, as the slope grew steeper and the satyr picked up speed. They entered a side tunnel, the cavern walls narrower. They ran across solid rock, no plant life in sight.

"Grover!" Percy called. "Hold on to something!"

He tried to hold onto gravel, but it mercilessly tore apart his fingernails and scraped his calloused fingertips. The cruel tunnel grew chillier and darker. They caught sight of the end of the tunnel, marked by a huge chasm in the ground. Grover was moments away from sliding into it. Percy came to an abrupt halt.

"What are you doing?" Thalia shouted, slipping her hand through his. She tugged him along. He resisted and she threw him an exasperated look. She didn't _want _to break a few of his bones, but if it came down to it…

"That's the place I saw in my dream!" he argued.

"Grover is going to fall if we don't catch him!" Annabeth warned.

At her words, he sprinted forward with the daughter of Zeus. Grover shouted desperately, latching himself onto a huge rock as the left shoe flew right off of his hoof. It soared down into the pit. He was nearly ten feet from the chasm when the demigods caught up to him and hauled him back up. The other shoe flew off as well, kicking Thalia in the head roughly for good measure, before following its companion into the pit.

The four of them tiredly collapsed onto the gravel. Thalia's body felt jaded, and the backpack strung across her shoulders felt heavier than ever.

"How?" Grover panted, lifting his bloody hands to his gaze.

"Wait," Percy said. "Listen."

Thalia strained her ears. It took her a while to notice it—a deep whisper sounded from the chasm, speaking words of a forgotten language, one even older than Greek.

"What's this place?" the satyr whimpered, cautiously peering down.

"Tartarus," Annabeth announced in realization, her gray irises blown in terror. "The entrance to Tartarus."

Percy and Thalia activated their swords, seeking to provide more light in the cavern. The ancient chanting seemed to falter for a moment, before it resumed.

"Magic," the son of Poseidon claimed.

Thalia let out a breath of air. "Way to drop the bomb, Jackson."

"We have to get out of here," the blonde demigoddess said.

The demigods dragged their satyr friend back up the tunnel, but they weren't moving fast enough. The angry chanting progressively increased in volume, in they broke into a run. The backpack was weighing Thalia down, but she pushed on. A chilling wind tugged at their bodies, as if the chasm was trying to engulf them and drag them back. Thalia almost slipped on the solid gravel, but the son of Poseidon quickly outstretched his arms to catch her, even though his arms were clearly aching.

They reached the exit of the tunnel, and the voice stopped chanting the moment they entered the Fields of Asphodel. A wail of outrage sounded from the tunnel and the teenagers held their hands over their ears. They collapsed underneath the shade of a tall poplar grove.

"What was that?" Grover panted, wiping sweat from his brow. "One of Hades little pets?"

"There isn't anything little about whatever is in Tartarus," Thalia remarked, rubbing her sore ankle. The benefit of being a powerful demigod? She was always on her feet, running from or battling monsters; in turn, her body was perpetually in good shape. But somehow, while sprinting out of the tunnel, she had injured her ankle.

Annabeth had a thoughtful look on her face. Over the years, Thalia had learned that nothing good usually came from that expression. The daughter of Zeus realized that the intelligent blonde knew what stirred in the chasm, or at least she had a suspicion. Thalia watched as Percy capped his sword, and she deactivated her weapon afterwards.

Thalia recalled how she comforted the daughter of Athena nearly thirty minutes earlier, and found herself perplexed. She didn't know how neglectful the girl's father was, nor did she understand why she seemed so upset about her previous home life. Yet, the brunette felt as if she owed the girl sympathetic gestures, and couldn't find it in herself to refrain from attempting to comfort her.

The daughter of Zeus didn't know what the blonde had put up with previously. From the very little story she had told the older demigods while on the run, Thalia could surmise that her father didn't appreciate her very much. She could easily relate, as could Luke, in a way. While traveling homeless and migrating slowly to New York, the three demigods hadn't revealed very much about their past, but they all shared a common bond through their unfit parents.

Even though she loathed the very thought of it, she felt a strange sort of obligation. After all, Luke and she had been Annabeth's only _true _family, and Thalia had missed out on most of the young girl's life. She couldn't help but wish to compensate for the years she wasn't there. It was part of her nature.

"Let's keep going," Percy said, helping Grover to his feet. "Can you walk?"

The satyr shrugged. "Yeah, I can manage. I didn't like those stupid flying shoes, anyway." He plastered on a nonchalant attitude, but it was obvious that he had been shaken up from the incident.

Thalia staggered to her feet, and roughly nudged Percy away when he tried to help her. She could get up perfectly fine on her own. Her ankle burned, but she repressed the pain. The four of them started back towards the palace of Hades, even though none of them were exactly excited about it. Thalia didn't know how the Lord of the Dead would react to seeing her, but she had a feeling he wasn't going to throw her a "welcome back" party.

The Furies continued to circle overhead. The surrounding walls glittered jet black, and the regal bronze gates stood wide open. Thalia got an uneasy feeling in her stomach, as if she wasn't already anxious enough. When they were close enough to the gates and she could make out engraved death scenes on the flawless bronze, she resisted the urge to turn around and bolt.

Entering the courtyard didn't soothe her fright in the least. Strange, multicolored plants were arranged in a garden, somehow growing with the lack of sunlight. Precious jewels littered the grounds, and the daughter of Zeus almost began to think of the Underworld as a beautiful place. That was, before she realized that if she happened to "accidentally" brush one of the jewels while walking through the courtyard, she would be eternally cursed.

Her luminous irises caught sight of a cluster of terrifying statues, which she immediately assumed were from Medusa's emporium. The most alluring sight to behold in the otherwise dreary garden was a group of tantalizing pomegranate trees. The longer she stared at them, the more the brunette had a desire to reach out and bite into one of them.

"The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said, her voice high and urgent.

Thalia forced herself to look away from the tauntingly delicious fruits as the blonde's statement motivated her to continue walking. She remembered the story of Persephone, from when her father had told it long ago. One bite of anything in the Underworld, and she would be doomed to stay there forever. Percy had to forcefully pull Grover along. The satyr didn't look too eager to leave the garden.

Staring in awe at the tall black columns that surrounded the staircase on either side, the teenagers began to transcend. After walking through an obsidian portico, they entered the home of Hades. Thalia silently thanked whatever god was listening that she had combat boots on. The cold, bronze floors were freezing her feet even through their leather confines, and she could imagine how worse things would be if she had no shoes at all. Rather than a ceiling, the entire palace had only the above cavern roof.

Skeletons in military gear guarded every side doorway. They were a variety of different uniforms, all of which Thalia was slightly jealous over. For some reason, she found the differing outfits extremely awesome. She had attended a military academy as a kid, but the only uniform they were permitted to wear was the standard physical regime clothes, consisting of Army sweats and a gray t-shirt. They didn't even get to wear wicked ACUs, which would have absolutely kept her from letting the class gerbil out of his cage in the fourth grade.

Thalia preferred military-like schools. They were controlled and organized, for one. She had always been a sort of control freak, even when she was younger. Back when she had lived with her mother, they balanced each other out in that aspect. While her mom was wild and spiraling out of control twenty-four seven, Thalia kept a level head. Secondly, she was born and raised a fighter. What better school to attend than a military school? She had been to plenty of delinquent schools, and they hadn't even begun to compare.

The skeletal guards did nothing to stop the teenagers from advancing, but they followed their every movement with their hollow eye sockets. Two undead US Marines blocked the main doors, grinning at the four of them in a sinister manner. Thalia matched one of them in height, but the other was a striking six foot-something. In their bony hands, they each held rocket-propelled grenade launchers.

"You know," Grover mumbled under his breath, "I don't think Hades has any trouble with door-to-door salesmen."

Thalia readjusted the backpack once again, finding its sudden weightiness discomforting. She was half-tempted to check what was inside, but knew it would only be pushing daylight. They didn't have any time to sit around and check their belongings.

"I suppose we should…knock?" Percy proposed.

With a gust of hot wind, the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside, allowing the demigods and satyr entrance.

"I guess that means _entrez-vous_," Annabeth said, letting out a breath of air.

Lord Hades looked just like he did the last time Thalia saw him, which definitely wasn't a good thing. He sat at ten feet tall, his dark hair shining in the light provided by the stalactites above. Black silk robes clung to his slim, yet menacing body, and a crown of braided gold rested atop his head. He radiated that same dark power, and his skin was the same albino white tone. He rested back against his throne of fused human bone, sending a disturbing chill up Thalia's spine.

"You are all brave to come here," the god said eventually, eyeing one demigoddess in particular. "Namely, the daughter of Zeus. After all that has been done against me, I find myself rather surprised at this sudden intrusion. Tell me, dear Thalia, did you miss the dungeon?"

A cocky smirk lit up his cruel face. Without giving anyone a chance to respond, he cleared his throat pointedly, not bothering to take his eyes off of Thalia. "I beseech thee, what has taken you so long in reaching my palace? Could it be that you were searching for much more than your father's beloved master bolt?"

Thalia gritted her teeth.

"I will save you the trouble of looking. You won't find them. Not here, anyway. I imagine your father would like to tell you otherwise," Hades taunted.

"Them?" Percy whispered to himself, sending the daughter of Zeus a look of puzzlement.

Hades knew about her mother and Jason. Had he done something with their spirits?

"Now, now, sky spawn," he began once again, his voice as oily as the River Styx. "We shouldn't jump to conclusions. Why don't you ask your _mighty _father about it? I'm sure he would enlighten you." He paused in his speech, his lips contorting in a harmful sneer. "Oh, wait. You aren't making it out of here alive. What a pity that is."

"Shut up," the son of Poseidon snapped. "Leave her alone."

Hades fixed his cold eyes on the demigod. "Have you no manners, godling? I expected such behavior from a child of Zeus, but rarely is a child of my preferred brother so impulsive. Oh, whom am I kidding? All demigods are impulsive."

Percy apologized, although he didn't look like he meant it at all. The demigod straightened his posture and met the god's gaze with a renewed sense of bravery. "Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests."

The Lord of the Dead raised a brow. As he leant forward in his throne, faces of torment shimmered on the plain of his robe. _I'd hate to see his underwear, _Thalia thought begrudgingly. She hoped to never have the misfortune of learning the horrors that lied underneath his clothing. Her nose wrinkled in disgust, before she forced herself to once again refocus on the conversation.

"Only two requests?" Hades asked, incredulous. "Arrogant child. What do you take me for? Do you take me for a common fool, ripe for taking advantage of? As if you haven't already taken enough from me. Go on and speak. I have to have some reason for not striking you dead where you stand."

"Lord Hades," Percy started, his voice cracking slightly from his nervousness. "There can't be a war among the gods. It would result in absolute chaos. Sacrifices would be made on either side, and for no valuable cause. A war would prove pointless."

"Really pointless," Grover added.

"Return Zeus' master bolt to us," the son of Poseidon urged. "Please. We'll carry it to Olympus, and there will be peace once more."

Hades' jaw dropped about three stories, and his eyes nearly glowed in anger and disbelief. "You dare to keep up this pretense? After all you have done, you continue to tell your foul lies? And, Thalia, a girl turning against her own father. He would be so ashamed."

The daughter of Zeus growled low in her throat. "He doesn't have the lightning bolt! _I _don't have the lightning bolt. What do you mean, after all he has done? Why would you care about a weapon of your brother's?" she challenged.

The throne room shook, as if an earthquake somehow tore through the palace. Debris fell from the high cavern roof, nearly impaling the teenagers. The multiple doors surrounding them burst open, allowing hundreds of skeletal warriors to pile into the room. They aligned themselves, blocking every exit available.

"Do you think I _want _war, godling?" Hades roared, glaring down the daughter of Zeus.

"These guys don't look like peace activists," Percy murmured, only loud enough for his friends to overhear. Thalia had to stifle an inappropriate laugh. "Wouldn't you want to expand your kingdom?" the son of Poseidon proposed.

"A typical thing for Zeus or Poseidon to claim! Do you think I wish to further my suffering? Have you witnessed the sprawl that is the Asphodel Fields? Do you realize how much expansion my empire has already been subjected to? Why, I've had to create numerous different subdivisions just to make enough room!"

Before any of them could speak, Hades decided to continue rambling. He was on a fucking _roll_. "More despicable spirits means I have to hire more security ghouls. Inflammation in the judgment pavilion is just the cherry on top of the cake! I am up to my neck in debt, _Jackson_. You'd think I'd have enough wealth down here, around all of the precious riches. But, no! Bat crazy Hades has to get the worse end of the deal. Thalia, do you think your father has to pay the birds to fly?"

"No, sir," she managed to get out.

"Exactly!" he exclaimed. "And Charon!"

"Charon wants a pay raise," Grover said, and nearly leaped a foot when the Lord of the Dead groaned aloud.

"Wonderful!"

_Talk about a mental breakdown. _

"So, no, godling. I do not need any more subjects. I did _not _ask for this war!" Hades shouted, seemingly finished with his rant.

"But, you stole Zeus' lightning bolt," Percy reasoned.

Hades stood, his dark irises rapid fires in their respective eyes. "Lies!" The throne room rumbled yet again, nearly knocking the teens down. "Zeus may be easily fooled by your lousy father, but no lies shall be believed by someone as intelligent as myself. I am not so gullible, boy. I know of your plan."

"What plan?"

"_You _were the thief on the winter solstice," Hades accused. "Your father allowed you access to the throne room on Olympus and you stole the master bolt _and _my helm."

Helm? Didn't he mention something about a helm the last time she had been here?

"Justice will be served, Perseus Jackson. You will be revealed for the thief you are, and I shall regain my helm!"

Annabeth furrowed her brows in contemplation. Thalia could practically see the gears turning in her head, as she made a connection between the two missing objects. "But…" she muttered. "Lord Hades," she said, louder and clearer, "your helm is missing, too?"

The Lord of the Dead chuckled darkly. "Do not play innocent with me, daughter of Athena. You and your satyr friend have been helping the hero in maintaining what rightfully belongs to me. As for you, Thalia," he looked to her with barely contained hatred, "I do not know what to make of your part in this."

"Sir—" Grover, surprisingly enough, attempted to argue.

"Silence!" Hades ordered. "Does Poseidon honestly believe he can win my favor? I will never become an advocate of whatever his cause may be. He has sent you heroes to threaten me!"

"No!" Percy yelled. "Poseidon didn't—I didn't—"

"Enough, sea spawn!" the god shouted. "I have said nothing of the helm's disappearance for there is not a single being on Olympus who wishes to deliver me any form of justice. Can you imagine how many rumors would spread about my symbol of power missing? My biggest tool of fear, gone! I searched for you myself, knowing that you only wanted to transmit a threat. If you are wise, you will hand over both weapons _now._"

"But, Uncle—" Thalia tried to get a word in, but he clearly wasn't having any of that.

"Return my helm and surrender the master bolt, or I will stop death," Hades threatened. "Call it a counterproposal, if you will. Earth will open up and the dead will pour back out into the world. The lands you mortals call home will become the epitome of a nightmare. And, you, Percy Jackson—your skeleton will be leading my army to Olympus."

The skeleton warriors stepped forward, readying their respective weapons.

The son of Poseidon reddened, and Thalia internally groaned. She couldn't honestly blame him for getting defensive, because she would have felt the same if someone was accusing her of something, but did he have to pick a fight with one of the Big Three? Couldn't he pick a fight with Barney or something?

"You're worse than Zeus," Percy accused. Thalia's face twitched at the insult, but she didn't attempt to argue with it. Her father _was _foolish when he became paranoid, and tended to act irrationally. "You think I stole from you? That's why you sent the Furies after me?"

"Of course," Hades said.

"What about the other monsters?" the son of Poseidon challenged. "The Chimera, Echidna, Medusa, Procrustes, the Amphisbaena," he listed off. "What about them?"

The Lord of the Dead appeared baffled. "I had nothing to do with them," he objected. "I wanted to conjure up my own unique death for you, and banish you to the Fields of Punishment. Perhaps, due to the fact there are two children of the Big Three, monsters were drawn to your group." He sneered, turning his gaze to Thalia. "Or, perhaps Old Pinstripe has come to his senses and sent monsters after his own bastard."

"Don't," Thalia warned, her voice low and angry. "Don't you dare—"

"Return my property!"

"We don't have your fucking helm!" the daughter of Zeus shouted, even louder than he had. "We came for the lightning bolt, and we plan to leave with it."

As soon as the words exited her mouth, sparks sailed rapidly through her body. Lightning crackled off of her fingertips, leaping onto the teenagers around her. Percy, receiving the worst of the shocks, jumped back and closed his hand around his wounded bicep. His body was shaking. Thalia sent him an apologetic look. Despite popular belief, she hated when her powers hurt others. She never asked to be some kind of circus freak.

Hades stared wide-eyed at the nylon backpack. The red fled from his face. A smirk stretched onto his lips, and he laughed aloud. "My, my. What do we have here? Has the little punk decided to finally join my side?"

"What?" she asked, mouth agape. What the hell was he rambling on about? "What are you saying?"

"Thalia, there is no need to play coy any longer!" Hades said, smiling sadistically. "Come on, then. Open the backpack!"

"Play coy? What?"

"What's he talking about?" Percy asked, eyeing the bag with suspicion.

Annabeth gasped. "No…_no_."

"What's going on?" Grover asked, staring at the daughter of Athena in concern.

"Open the pack!" the god urged impatiently.

Thalia hurriedly slung the bag off her shoulders and sat it down in front of her. Hesitantly, she slowly unzipped it. That excruciating weight…could it be what she predicted it was? Blindly, she reached out and dug a heavy object from the bag. It was a two-foot long cylinder, glowing with crackling energy and spiked on either end. Her blue eyes widened. Realizations striking her like the bolt of lightning in her hands, she reasoned that someone must have slipped it into the bag when she wasn't paying attention.

"Thalia," Percy's hurt voice sounded. "How—how is it…?"

She met his gaze reluctantly. "I—I don't know," she answered honestly.

"Thalia Grace," Hades chimed, the arrogant smirk still dominating his features. "Ever the joker, you are. Now come, come. Hand it over." The daughter of Zeus raised an eyebrow and, even though she was still bewildered, she shook her head wildly. The god scowled. "You have come through with your agreement, yes?"

"What agreement?" Percy stepped forward, not giving Thalia the opportunity to ask the question herself.

"I proposed a deal a short while back, and it seems that Thalia has come through on her side. Even though she has not surrendered the helm over to me, she has brought the lightning bolt." Hades applauded. "Very wisely played, sky spawn. I bet your _friends _didn't see this one coming, did they? You swiped the bolt from them, and they didn't notice a single thing."

Thalia's mouth opened and closed frantically, but she couldn't find the words she longed to say. Of course she hadn't betrayed her friends! She hadn't agreed to bring him the master bolt, either. If she remembered correctly, she had turned him down and he threw her into a freaking cage.

"We didn't have the bolt to begin with," Grover pointed out.

"That doesn't matter," Percy said, his voice suddenly indifferent. He turned to Thalia, and his glare was almost enough to make her grovel. Almost. "You betrayed us. You fooled me into thinking you wanted to help me, and then you planted the bolt into the backpack. After everything we've been through together, you had the nerve to—"

"I didn't betray you, Percy!" she yelled. Her fingers tightened around the bolt, and she once again felt the familiar shocks prod at her skin. Rather than wound her, the electricity strengthened her. "Would you just listen to me? I didn't know it was in there!"

Part of her felt as if arguing with the boy was pointless. For Rhea sake, he was almost as stubborn as she. Once he was fixated on something, it was difficult to persuade him against it.

"It explains everything!" he shouted angrily. His fists clenched tightly and, even though sparks perpetually assaulted his body, he stood his ground. "You've been working against me this entire time. You ditched me on the Arch, thinking Echidna would finish me off. I knew you were always hiding something, but I didn't think it was anything serious. I guess I should've kept my guard up. The prophecy said a friend would betray me." He stepped closer to her, his nose nearly brushing hers. The son of Poseidon snatched the lightning bolt from her grip. "I just didn't think it would be you," he finished, hatred lacing his tone.

"No, I—"

"Prophecies don't lie, Thalia," Annabeth cut in, unwilling to meet her eyes. "I knew there was a reason you were trying to get so close to me. The daughter of Zeus I knew would've never tried to comfort me. On the run, you distanced yourself from Luke and I on several occasions. Were you just using us, too?"

When Thalia responded, she spoke through a clenched jaw. "You don't believe that," she said, her voice husky. "I know you, Annabeth. You know me. You know it wasn't me."

"You don't know shit," the satyr stood up for the blonde demigoddess, stepping out in front of her and shielding her body. "You've certainly changed a lot. I know I didn't know you as well as Luke or Annabeth did, but you haven't been acting like your old self at all."

Hades chuckled in a sinister way. "Isn't this just brilliant?" When the daughter of Zeus sent him a withering glare, he laughed even louder. "You heroes are all the same. Selfish. Prideful. Why, Thalia, you're—"

"_Shut up_!" she screamed, pulling at her hair in distress. "Just shut up! I'm not a traitor. I'm not selfish."

"Oh, but you are," Hades taunted. "You not only turned against your family, but your friends as well. I would say you're the very definition of traitor. But, oh well. I have promised you riches, haven't I? Surrender the helm, retrieve the bolt from the puny sea spawn, and allotted jewels will be yours for the taking."

"This is all a mistake," Thalia said, raising her voice. Her nose twitched in rage.

The skeletons raised their weapons, and took aim at the younger teens. The Furies flew down and perched on Hades' throne, cracking their whips. A ball of golden flames spurred from the god's palm, and he flung it on the steps in front of them. Percy's mother, frozen in a shower of gold, appeared before them, just as immobile as she was when the Minotaur had been compressing her lungs.

Mesmerized, the son of Poseidon reached out for her, but found his hand burned and immediately retracted.

"I took her," Hades said. "I originally kept her around for the purpose of bargaining with you. If young Thalia here chooses to return the helm, and you give me the master bolt, I might consider letting her live. She is not yet dead, you know. But that can and will most certainly change if you get on my bad side."

Percy's eyes began to water. Thalia didn't know if it was ascribed to his anger or his sadness, but when he regarded her coldly she felt like she could die right then and there. "This is all your fault," he snarled. "How could you do this to me? I—I thought I could trust you!"

"You can," she assured, her voice only slightly higher than a whisper. "Please, Jackson. You have to believe me. I didn't do this! I'm not the one who placed the master bolt in the backpack. I didn't make a deal with Hades."

"Have you talked to him before? While you were in the Underworld?" the boy challenged.

"Yes," she said.

"Then you betrayed us," Percy said, not giving her a chance to elaborate on her answer. "My mom," he began, his voice cracking slightly, "is stuck in here because of you. All because you wanted wealth."

Hades titled his head to the side. "This conversation does not amuse me in the least, godlings. I am seconds away from sending your mother to the Fields of Punishment, _Perseus. _I am giving you one more chance. _Hand them over_."

Percy glanced down at his pocket, seemingly contemplating an idea. Then, it hit Thalia like a freight train: the pearls would free them from the Underworld. But…didn't he only have three? Thalia paled. Two people would be forced to stay behind. She vowed she would be one of the two to stay. It wasn't like he would oppose leaving her to rot. He already hated her.

"Ah, the pearls," the Lord of the Dead whistled lowly. "It's a shame, really. My brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Jackson."

Percy dug into his pockets and pulled them out, as if in a trance.

"Only three?" the god questioned. "You do realize one protects only a single person, don't you? Go on and save your mother, then. Which one of your friends shall you be leaving with me? Choose. Or, of course, you could hand me the master bolt _and _the backpack."

Thalia knew his choice before he even said anything. Percy wasn't the type of person to leave anyone behind, nor was he the type of hero to surrender the key to his own survival.

"I…I don't know," the demigod said, his eyebrows furrowing in indecision.

"Decide, boy!" Hades snapped.

"You can't give him the bolt," Thalia heard the satyr reason. "Let me stay. Satyrs don't have average souls. We're reincarnated. Once I pass on, he won't be able to get his hands on me. It's the best way."

"No," the daughter of Athena argued. "I'm staying behind. I'll cover you guys. Don't fret. I'll go down fighting, that's for damn sure."

"No way," Grover said. "I'm staying."

"Think again," Annabeth quipped.

"I know what to do," Percy said. "Just shut up, will you? Take one of these." He passed each of them a pearl. "You will fail to save what matters most in the end," the brunette heard him mutter underneath his breath. He apologized to his mother; although, it was obvious she couldn't hear him.

The smug grin faded from Hades' face. "Godling…?"

"I'll find your helmet, Uncle," Percy promised. "I'll return it. Remember about that pay raise." He turned to face Thalia then, and she held her breath. Expecting to be slapped across the face, she found herself surprised when he didn't physically assault her; however, she had quickly learned that words could hurt just as bad as punches, if not worse. "Don't forget to collect your gold."

Thalia felt her stomach stir, and knew she was about three seconds away from pounding her head into a wall and knocking herself unconscious. She didn't see why she should disagree with their claims any longer. They would only repeatedly insist that she was a traitor. There was nothing the brunette could say or do that would change their minds. Maybe it was better this way. If Percy loathed her, it wouldn't be hard for him to leave her behind. If he continued to view her as a companion, he would have been likely to sacrifice himself, and she wouldn't be able to live with herself if that happened.

Percy turned to Hades once more and threw him a little wave. The god growled. "Do not defy me—"

"It wouldn't hurt to play with Cerberus every now and then," the son of Poseidon tossed out. "He's a big fan of red rubber balls."

"Percy Jackson, you will not leave my kingdom with the lightning—"

"Now, guys!"

The demigods and satyr smashed the pearls beneath their feet. For a terrifying moment, nothing occurred. At Hades' command, skeletons marched forward to attack. The Furies flew towards them. The pearl fragments exploded from beneath the teenagers' feet, and they were slowly encased inside of milky white spheres. The spheres began to float off of the ground, and they launched rapidly towards the ceiling. When Thalia was sure the stalactites above would skewer them, they simply passed right through the cavern roof.

The daughter of Zeus resisted the urge to lash out, and settled for observing the skeleton soldiers casually. They hadn't pointed their weapons at her, which she was slightly thankful for. On the other hand, part of her wished they would. She would surely be killed, but at least she wouldn't be stuck in a throne room with her creepy, enraged uncle.

Hades snickered. "It's truly a shame that he doesn't consider you a friend anymore."

"You knew," Thalia snapped, her eyes flashing. "You set me up!"

The Lord of the Dead faked a sheepish smile, raising a pale hand. "Guilty," he sang. "You see, Thalia, I do not believe I require the master bolt. You will make an even better bargaining tool."

Before she could say anything, he snapped his fingers. The sound echoed through the room, and the skeletons closed in on her. Her hands were pulled roughly behind her back and a strong rope was used to restrain them. It wasn't in her nature to submit, so she struggled against the attack. The butt of an AK-47 was rammed into her ribcage and she gasped in shock. Her ribs had recently healed, and had been extremely vulnerable. She could feel several of them breaking with the force, and grimaced in pain.

The god sat back in his throne, crossing one leg over the other. "Take her to the prisons again," he ordered, his voice steely and his posture domineering. "And, this time, keep a close eye on her."


	23. Return to Santa Monica

**A/N: A few more chapters left. This one, unfortunately (I hear many of you enjoy longer chapters), is not as long as a majority of my others. But, I expect to have the next chapter completed some time this week. **

**Some of the proponents in this chapter may seem scattered or even unrelated, but they all tie into later events. So, even though they may not make much sense now, they will later eventually. **

**As for writing a Sea of Monsters, I have decided that I most certainly will. I will post the first chapter of it the day I post the last chapter of The Lightning Thief. **

**Disclaimer: Until I somehow find a way to steal his identity (not saying I will, of course, don't press charges), I will never be Rick Riordan. Therefore, I still do not own the series. **

* * *

Thalia's face was planted firmly onto a block of solid concrete, her face bloody and scarred. When Hades had mentioned using her as a bargaining tool, she hadn't planned on his minions torturing her. It was just her luck, however, that had her being repeatedly flogged across the back. The daughter of Zeus could withstand the pain. She knew she could.

The only thing actually concerning her was the tauntingly malicious Judas Cradle, lingering in the corner of the prison cell. Her mother had been big into everything historic and ancient, and if Thalia remembered correctly, the torturous stool was often linked to the Spanish Inquisition.

The legendary Brazen Bull, crafted by Perillos of Athens, sat on the opposite side of the room. In Ancient Greece, a victim was trapped inside of the brass bull and set on fire. The executioners became so cruel in their methods, that they went as far as to create special tubes inside of the device, which made the victim's screams resemble the enraged calls of a bull.

Talk about a bunch of nutcases. If she wanted to sound like a bull, she'd live among them.

_Probably wouldn't be a good idea, _she amended, remembering that one of Queen Hera's sacred animals was a cow. Bulls weren't too different, so the goddess probably maintained some kind of authority over them as well.

The whip lashed out again, drawing blood from her already battered back. Thalia couldn't help the sob that broke through her lips. She may have been strong, but she could only take so much pain before she broke down completely. How long had it been since she saw the mortal world? How long had she been in the prison? More importantly, where was Sally? Even if Percy believed her to be a traitor, she wasn't leaving the Underworld without saving the woman.

As was apparent, Thalia wanted nothing more than to get out of that place as soon as possible. So, when the only skeleton left in the room decided to taunt her by waving the Pear of Anguish in her face, she hadn't hesitated in snatching it from him and knocking him upside the head with it. His skull toppled off of his body, and the daughter of Zeus allowed herself a sigh of relief. Then, the skeleton simply picked his head off the floor and placed it back on his shoulders.

The brunette swallowed, watching in fear as the guard stepped closer to tug the rope around her wrists even tighter. She visibly winced, but refrained from voicing her pain. Her wrists were sore and her fingers were cramped from being constricted together for so long. The undead warrior watching over her was a giant, clad in steel armor. She could easily imagine him as a selfish knight of the medieval times.

The creepiest thing about the guards of the Underworld was the fact that they didn't speak. She would feel more comfortable with someone abusing her if they were to start a conversation, but the skeletons that had been passing her around were almost completely silent, only communicating to one another by clattering their teeth.

The warrior slapped her down, causing her head to fall sorely back down onto the concrete block. It was already stained with her blood, and the attack furthered the obstruction. Figuring it would be better not to stand again, she allowed herself to settle more comfortably onto the block. She knew she probably looked like a lunatic, but she didn't really care. If she had to be tortured, she might as well make herself comfortable.

Thalia had never been the damsel in distress type, but a huge part of her was hoping Percy would come charging through the cell door to save her. Hell, where was that son of Thanatos when she needed him? Kyler, his name was? The chances of him coming to rescue her again weren't in her favor. Hades had most certainly upped his security, having learned his lesson of being too lenient with her. She didn't doubt that the sadistic god had given his soldiers permission to beat her.

She imagined her capture was like a dream come true for him. As her father had once told her, Hades was obsessed with the idea of making her soul suffer, for reasons unknown to her. What had she done to him in the past? Was his hatred of her due to her parentage? Gods were irrational like that.

The bars of her cell door rattled, and she didn't bother to look towards the entrance. She expected it to be yet another ghoul. The skeleton hurried out of the cell, locking the door behind him. What was that all about? What had made him so afraid? To make a skeleton run, it must have been pretty damn scary.

A loud clang echoed through the cell. Thalia gasped, bothering to lift her head up from the block. She hadn't realized something snuck into there. To her surprise, Sally Jackson was roughly pushed onto her knees beside her, her thin shoulders gripped tightly by an undead Confederate soldier. Percy's mother sobbed, her tears trekking down her soot-layered face. The skeleton guard left the two of them alone, and Thalia didn't hesitate in lifting herself from the concrete.

"Sally," she croaked, her voice hoarse from hours of screaming.

"Good gracious," the woman exhaled heavily, wiping tears from her face. "What happened to you? I thought you were killed."

"No," Thalia admitted, shaking her head. "I escaped. I had to find Percy."

"Did you?" Sally's blue eyes were wide. "Did you find my sweet boy?"

The daughter of Zeus nodded, even though it did nothing to assuage her growing migraine. "Yeah," she said huskily. "I found him."

"Where is he?"

She had been hoping the woman wouldn't ask that question. Looking to the wall, Thalia pointedly cleared her throat. She knew explaining the situation would be tough. If she could make it through the story without breaking down and punching something, she would be halfway through the trouble. Once Sally found out what happened, she would surely accuse her of being a traitor, too. The brunette sighed, before once again making eye contact with Percy's mother.

"We ran into each other at some statue emporium," she began, and Sally's frown told her all she needed to know. The woman knew she didn't want to tell the story. "Turned out, Medusa was there. Don't worry," she added at Sally's look of shock, "we got out alive. All of us."

"All? How many were with you?"

"Annabeth and Grover, the satyr," Thalia supplied. "Percy met Annabeth at camp, and she's a daughter of Athena. They were sent on a quest with him. Do you know of the recent tragedy?"

"Zeus' master bolt going missing, you mean?" Sally asked. Thalia, surprised by the woman's knowledge, nodded. "Yes, I'm afraid I've been subjected to questioning. Furies demanded I tell them where my son has it hidden."

The daughter of Zeus shook her head, but continued on with her story. "We made our way to Los Angeles, attempting to find the bolt in order for Percy to appease my father. We met a god along the way—Ares—and he gave us some supplies after we retrieved his shield. We got to LA, and found the Underworld after a run-in with Procrustes, the Stretcher."

"And?" the woman asked, leaning forward in interest. The poor woman was dying to know how her baby boy was doing. If only Thalia knew. "What happened in the Underworld? Where is Percy?"

"Hades…I think he set me up. I—I was set up. Someone or something had slipped my father's master bolt into my backpack, and Percy and the others think I betrayed them. They left me here, not that I can honestly blame them." Roughly, she broke out of the rope confining her wrists. Thalia ran a worried hand through her sweaty, dirty short locks. "Gods, I can't wait until word gets out to my father. You think he would want to save a _traitor_?"

"Oh," Sally exclaimed, awkwardly setting a hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Poor dear. I'm sure everything will turn out just fine. My boy has a plan, I know it."

_My boy has a plan, _Thalia replayed the words in her mind. For some odd reason, they made her sick. Her stomach churned with the thought of Percy just _leaving _her behind. She was all for being selfless, but for someone else to ditch her and fail to find her word credible was too much. \The daughter of Zeus knew it would be coming soon. She would freak out and go on some rage-induced rampage, with only Sally there to witness it. The girl grit her teeth and flexed her fingers unsteadily. _No need to fear, Percy Jackson will save every fucking body! _

Admittedly, she was being slightly irrational. She couldn't help it. Thalia, despite being the offspring of the mighty Zeus, was half human. It was probable that she would behave as a human would on occasion, and she felt bitter jealousy creep up her spine. Sally didn't think Thalia could save them. The woman was relying on her pig-headed son to swoop in and save the day, and she felt the familiar need to prove herself. If she were to bust them out of here, she'd to ten times better than Percy would. If anyone stood a chance at escaping the Underworld prisons, it was she. After all, she had gotten free before, hadn't she?

_With the help of Kyler, _the rational part of her brain pointed out.

Thalia growled. _Shut up, _she told it.

Something inside her snapped. Abruptly, she stood up. With an enraged scream, she threw wild punches to the solid cobblestone wall. Sally stared at her in shock, but she ignored the woman's presence, finding the idea of butchering her knuckles much more appealing. The woman tried to reach out and call her back, but the hurried words never reached her steaming ears. Eventually, she briefly came to her senses and backed away from the wall when her muscles began to ache even more unbearably. Spinning on her heel, Thalia began to pace the length of the cell in frustration.

"Did I say something wrong?" Sally asked, her voice quiet.

Thalia had to bite her lip to keep from sounding thunderous, which would reveal the fact that she was abraded by the thought of her proving incapable of doing something. "No," she replied and, despite the fact she attempted to sound calm, her voice was clipped and brisk. "I'm fine."

"You're lying," the woman accused daringly.

"We don't need his fucking plan!" Thalia snapped suddenly. "Percy is not coming back. We _need _to get out of here." She stepped closer to the woman and practically begged her with her youthful expression. "Come on, your son told me you were independent! Don't tell me you've suddenly grown spineless."

Thalia's anger was worthless. There was no true reason for it at all. There was absolutely no purpose to berating Sally Jackson. Her frustration reminded her of her younger days, when she had been practically forced to hang out with older street kids and earn filthy cash just to get by.

Her temper had been ruthless then, and it surely proved menacing now. Every day in school, she would get in at least one fight, whether it had been physical or verbal. In nearly every case, she had fought someone because they looked at her the wrong way. Irrational anger had always been a problem of hers, and she had been foolish to believe she had grown out of the annoying tendency.

"I am independent," Sally argued. "But, even I know when too much is overpowering. You're forgetting something. You may be a powerful child of the Big Three, but I'm a mortal."

"Gods damn it!" the daughter of Zeus yelled. Blood poured from her face and body, but she was far too riled up to give a damn anymore. She felt bad for lecturing Percy's mother—the sweet, caring Sally—but when she was in a bad mood it was rare that she could be stopped. "Why won't you—"

"Sky spawn," a cold voice called from outside of the cell. At the sound of the insult, Thalia spun around to glare at the speaker. A tall, cloaked figure, dressed as Charon had been, stood in front of the cell. He tossed the door open and a low grumble sounded from beneath his hood. Even though neither female could make out his distinct features, fiery hues glowed visibly. "His Majesty has called for you."

His Majesty? Who did he think he was, Zeus? Thalia nearly shivered at the thought of Hades being her father. It was bad enough that he was technically her seriously disturbed uncle.

As it was not in her nature to back down from anyone, she met his glare directly. Of course, it didn't even begin to intimidate a man of his stature, but she was satisfied nonetheless. Walking forward, she made to ask him a question. Before she could speak, however, he quickly placed a gag in her mouth and pulled out a glittering pair of steel handcuffs. After restraining her hands and violently kicking Sally away from them when the woman attempted to stop him, he tugged Thalia out of the cell and locked the door.

Thalia wished she didn't have the stupid gag in her mouth. If she could speak, the rude man would surely be getting an earful of complaints. Starting with the poor prison conditions. A large range of insults shot through her mind, everything from "_Bite my ass, old man!" _to _"Nice cloak, Gandalf!" _She had a feeling that neither jibe would prove very effective, even if she were able to speak them.

When Thalia expected the man to turn and lead her to the throne room, he surprised her by directing her in the opposite direction. He seemed to catch the look of surprise in her eyes and he laughed boisterously. "Did you assume I was dragging you to a trial? Please, my Lord isn't nearly fair enough. You are going to your execution, young demigod."

Execution? Fuck her life.

Not only did she end on a bad note with Percy, but she ended horribly with his mother as well. It seemed to be a habit of hers, ending on dreadful terms. It had happened to her time after time, and now she was going to die before she got a chance to set any facts straight.

The narrow passage gave way to a large, domelike room. Surprisingly, it was decorated similar to Hades' throne room, a golden-plated floor stretching out beneath their feet, and a high cavern ceiling above. The only significant difference were the rows of seats on either side of the room, almost as if the room was built as a sort of auditorium. With a frightful start, Thalia realized there would be ghouls and creatures alike witnessing her death. It was a _public _execution. What was wrong with the Lord of the Dead (besides the obvious)? Was he obsessed with the French Revolution?

Hades needed a fucking therapist.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the god vaunted, entering the circular room. He strutted to the far side, where a regal throne sat, and wrung his hands slowly. "It is a magnificent evening. Thalia Grace, daughter of Zeus, has been captured, and she shall perish after avoiding her seemingly inevitable demise years ago on Half-Blood Hill."

Ghosts and monsters alike suddenly littered the stands and cheered at the god's words. The cloaked man nudged her forwards, not bothering to untie her hands or offer her a mug of coffee. She hated coffee, anyway.

Hades smirked from his high throne. "What say you, Thalia, as your last words? I suggest you make them rather memorable."

The daughter of Zeus stared at him incredulously. How the hell was she supposed to say _anything_? She mumbled over her gag, willing her captor to remove it. When the Lord of the Dead gave his reluctant consent, the man tore it from her mouth and let it dangle around her collar. Thalia inhaled deeply, cherishing the little air she was able to ingest. At least they hadn't thrown a blindfold over her; demigod instinct could only get a girl so far.

"Well?" Hades inquired, raising a brow. "Have you nothing to say, ingrate?"

Thalia peered up in defiance, clenching her jaw and turning her nose up. "I prefer not to associate with mentally deranged cradle robbers." She glanced meaningfully to Persephone's empty throne. "Seriously, couldn't you have gone after Betty White or something? You're incredibly old. Your wife is way out of your league, man."

"Watch your tongue!" Hades yelled. "Persephone is not significantly younger than me."

Thalia, despite her frenzied nerves, mustered up the audacity to pull her tongue from her mouth and look down at it quizzically. "What next, captain?"

The Lord of the Dead roared. "Insolent girl! Just as serpent-tongued as your sardonic father."

"Serpent-tongued?" she repeated, looking down at her tongue again. "It's not _that _pointed, right?" The brunette knew she was definitely pushing it, but she was having too much fun to stop so early and besides, it would give her time to come up with a good plan.

_Thalia. _

Her blue eyes widened dramatically and she not so subtly glanced around the room. The voice sounded exactly like her father's, but he wasn't in sight. Usually, when she could hear him, they were typically on the same level of planet. Seeing as she was predictably thousands of feet beneath the surface, she had figured he wouldn't be able to communicate with her. Apparently, she had been wrong. She should've known. He _was _a god, after all.

"What are you looking for?" the dark god's voice broke through her concentration. He chuckled cruelly. "There is no escape, smart ass."

She didn't think she'd ever heard a god say _ass _before, but for some reason she found it oddly humorous. Thalia shouldn't be laughing. She was at her own execution ceremony, for Zeus sake. Stifling any inappropriate laughter, she allowed her eyes to drift off into the crowd. Hellhounds rested at the bottom-most benches, most of them lounging on the floor. They were all snarling at her and drooling from the mouth, unsurprisingly. Above the bottom rows were an array of differing monsters, from snake women to creatures that Thalia knew no name for. Near the very top, was a selective group of ghouls and spirits, some skeletal soldiers amidst them.

Closing her eyes tightly, she willed herself to focus on the voice of her father. She wanted to hear it again. Thalia needed to make sure it was he.

_Dad, _she thought imploringly, _I'm here. _

She hoped he wouldn't be irritated that she didn't ask him how his day was going. He was as moody as her mother had been.

_Look alive._

What? What the hell was that supposed to mean? He wanted her to fake death? Who says that, anyway? Before she could ponder the thought any longer, the cloaked man threw her effortlessly to her knees and he positioned her head on a large stone homemade chopping block. Swallowing thickly, she willed herself not to look upward. The sounds of an ax being sharpened permeated the air and she shut her eyes tightly once again.

"That is enough, Thanatos," Hades called out impatiently. "Just get this over with, won't you? I haven't got all afternoon. My insufferable mother-in-law is visiting, and she's bringing my beloved Persephone."

Thanatos? The cloaked man was Kyler's father? Should she try to reason with him? When she saw the shadow of the glinting blade on the floor, she decided against it. She didn't want to convince him to speed up the process by getting on his bad side.

_Look alive, Thalia. _

What the fuck was she supposed to look alive for?

The ax was hefted high into the air.

_Thalia. _

She wanted to scream _"What?"_ but refrained. Hades gave the order to let the blade drop and it seemed to slow down the closer it got to her neck. It was literately inches from penetrating the skin of her neck.

_Look alive. Look alive. Look alive. _

The next few moments passed by in a blur. As soon as the ax was about to strike skin, a blinding white light flashed and bounced off the walls until the entire glowing figure began to form in the center of the room, right in front of the daughter of Zeus. It was a good number of seconds before the light faded completely, and the ax-wielding god of death had already discarded his weapon. Seeming to recognize the luminescent form, he bowed to a knee and turned his awed gaze to the floor.

It was like magic. Every creature and undead participant in the audience either retracted in fear or dropped to his or her knees in admiration. Who was the visitor? With her impaired and bloodied vision, she couldn't quite make them out yet. Hades groaned aloud, projecting his exasperation clearly. Whoever was there, he didn't seem too fond of them.

_Warned you, _Zeus' voice echoed in the walls of her mind again and she was left confused. Warned her about what? All he told her was to look alive—

Thalia visibly froze. Not even realizing she was holding her breath, she blinked hard. It was a few moments before she could make out any of the visitor's features. A flash of long, beautifully curled mahogany locks flew down the woman's back. Her eyes, seeming to glow every warm color fathomable, narrowed at the sight of the daughter of Zeus. Dressed in a regal chiton and traditional knee-length, strapped sandals, the woman appeared even taller than Thalia. It was rare that she ever met a female taller than her, and it came as a surprise.

Thalia knew the woman had to be a goddess. A woman just couldn't be _that _flawlessly gorgeous. At least, she hadn't ever seen a woman that looked that good. She wasn't hot. She was astounding, which said so much more. Unlike the typical attractiveness, the goddess looked homely as well. Even though the tall and graceful woman was currently staring Thalia down like had taken the last cookie from the cookie jar, the daughter of Zeus didn't bother to hide her lingering eyes.

The goddess glared even harsher. Hades cleared his throat pointedly. "Must you intrude upon such an event, sister?" he asked, obviously working tension out of his voice. "Thanatos was literately a second away from chopping off the bastard's head."

Thalia stood from the chopping block, despite the protest of the reaper. She was sick and tired of being called a bastard. All of her life, even in school, she had been ridiculed for being fatherless. If she had to hear it one more time, she was going to ruin someone's entire day.

The brunette goddess raised a brow challengingly, the hatred in her irises never diminishing. "Still have the scar, I see," she remarked knowingly, flashing an uninterested grimace. Her voice was neither cold nor pleased. It was indecipherably apathetic, and Thalia got the impression that the goddess didn't like her all that much. "You will not kill her, Hades."

"Excuse you?" Hades laughed in disbelief, standing defiantly from his throne. "You might be able to push your pathetic husband around like an abandoned puppy, but I am not having any of it. Now, I command you leave—"

"You do not command anything from me, you disgusting oaf," the goddess snarled. "You will _not _execute this…_girl,_ nor will you keep her imprisoned. She is needed in the world." As she shot Thalia a look of disgust, the woman's lip curled. "You will let her go, even if I would rather have her dead."

Hades sneered. "Oh, please," he dismissed with a wave of his hand. "I know you. You're only after her for another reason. Tell me, what interesting punishment do you have in mind for her? We shall compare."

"We shall not compare anything, whether it be the death of Thalia or music genres," the woman asserted, smirking tauntingly. "Give the girl to me."

"She's better off dead."

"Um, excuse me," Thalia interrupted their so-called interesting conversation. "Don't I have a choice in this?"

"No!" the immortals shouted simultaneously.

"Great," the daughter of Zeus muttered to herself. "I'll just sit over here then." Finding an uncomfortable corner in the far side of the room, she plopped down. Gods, how long would they talk?

"By order of the Olympian council, I order you to surrender the daughter of Zeus," the goddess commanded.

"As if," Hades said, scoffing. "You're just envious that I got to her first. There's no way I'm letting you steal the glory of killing her."

"Her fate lies elsewhere," the elegant woman argued, "not with you."

"Fate, huh? That what you feed Zeus?"

"I'm about to feed you your own tongue if you don't stop back talking me, mister," she threatened in response to his irrelevant question. _Mother much?_ "I am taking her whether you permit it or not."

Storming over to the girl in question, the woman grabbed onto the sleeve of her shoulder and hauled her to her feet. She untied her hands and pulled the gag from around her neck. Throwing it on the ground, she eyed the young girl with distaste. Retracting from the teen as if utterly repulsed, the goddess dusted off her own garb self-consciously.

"Close your eyes," she ordered.

Immediately, Thalia followed the instruction. She didn't want to be forced to swallow her own tongue any time soon, and no part of her doubted that the woman wouldn't hesitate to do so.

Hades cried in fury. "Stop! You can't just—"

"Watch us," the female quipped, snapping her fingers. A cloud of white engulfed them, and they went soaring through the roof. Before even a second could pass, they were dropped from the crowd and onto the busy sidewalk of West Hollywood. DOA Studios sat in front of them, spirits continuing to bustle restlessly inside of its lobby.

When the goddess attempted to turn around and head in another direction, Thalia reached out and grabbed her wrist. The look the woman gave her was enough to rattle her bones. She stared into the shorter girl's eyes and the daughter of Zeus gasped as recognition shot through her. She had seen that angelic face as a babe.

Sudden anger flaring through her willowy body, she stood toe-to-toe with the intimidating goddess. "What are you doing here? What do you want from me?"

The goddess looked shocked. "My, my. What do we have here? Someone has an awfully impeccable memory." A wry smirk stretching onto her plump lips, she released an almost sadistic laugh.

"What do you want," Thalia gritted out, "Hera?"

Hera took her by the shoulders roughly. "Don't sass me, brat," she snapped. "I never claimed I wanted anything from you, you ungrateful mistake."

The daughter of Zeus scowled, shrugging off the woman's hold. "Don't touch me." She eyed her up and down, her mouth twisting in a repulsed manner. "I don't trust you."

"You probably shouldn't," Hera agreed, begrudgingly.

"Why did you free me?"

"Whom are you to ask something of me?" the Queen of the Gods countered. "You are a mere demigod, a brat of my husband at that."

"Well, typically, on any other occasion, you'd slice my throat open," Thalia pointed out, sarcasm burdening her voice. "You hate children of Zeus."

"And?" Hera asked, raising a perfectly waxed eyebrow. "Are you going to get to your point any time soon?"

"What the hell do you want from me?" Thalia shouted out, throwing her hands up. "You can't possibly be here for my benefit. You saved me for some wicked reason. What can you possibly do to make my world even worse than it already is?"

Hera's eyes darkened. "Mark my words, Thalia Grace, I plan to make your world a living hell." With a dramatic sigh, she turned her gaze to the distance. "Unfortunately, we both have places to be and people to bitch at. I suggest you hurry to Santa Monica Beach."

"Santa Monica Beach? What the fuck is there?" the daughter of Zeus asked, bewildered.

Rather than comment on her foul use of language, the goddess ground her teeth together. "Unless you want your little boyfriend to get hurt," Hera chimed mockingly, "you'd better hurry."

Boyfriend? She didn't have a—_oh._ "Percy isn't my boyfriend," she argued feebly. "And, he can handle himself."

Hera sneered. "Against a god?"

"A god?" Thalia inquired, brows furrowed. "Why would he be fighting a god?"

"It seems young Perseus has come to his senses," the goddess answered mysteriously. "You've overlooked some important facts. Maybe it's time you revaluate that useless brain of yours."

Damn, Hera was _mean. _Thalia had to admire her spunk, though. Not many people would openly belittle a girl of her appearance; the leather and punk attire seemed to scare the average man or woman off.

Before the daughter of Zeus could retort with a valid insult, Hera walked off into a coffee shop. Why didn't she just transport? Thalia didn't get the gods. If they could just immediately be wherever they wanted to be, why did they walk calmly into places? It's not like the Mist wouldn't back them up. Did they just go to insane measures to appear dramatic? Sighing, Thalia started to the bus stop. It wouldn't take her long to get to Percy and the others, but every second wasted was worth much more. Even though she was reluctant to meet with the teenagers who turned against her at the blink of an eye, she knew she had to. There was no way in all of Olympus that she would sit back and let one of them get hurt.

After boarding the bus and riding for nearly ten miles, the vehicle stopped alongside the beginning of the beach. Thalia rushed off first, not paying attention to the various people who yelled curses at her on her way out. Sprinting out onto the grainy shore, she ignored the cold wind wickedly tousling her already unkempt hair. She knew she looked utterly terrible. Thalia was bleeding from her face, ribs, and knuckles, and a thick layer of grime masked the surface of her clothes. There were haphazard rips in the knees of her pants. The only intact, unaffected garment she had on was the brown leather flight jacket her father had given her.

Spotting small, yet recognizable figures in the distance, she picked up her pace. When she was close enough to make out the tall, bulky form of a man and the outline of an awesome Harley Davidson, she stopped abruptly. Why hadn't she realized it before? Gods, she was so oblivious. He had been the one to hand them the backpack in the first place. Now that she thought about it, it all added up. He could benefit from war, more so than Hades. The Lord of the Dead hadn't been behind the entire thing.

Ares had stolen the lightning bolt.


	24. The Power of Poseidon

**A/N: I have rather depressing news. Someone (not going to list any names) decided to drop my laptop and damage my internal hardware. Until I find out what is damaged and attempt to have it repaired, I won't be able to retreive the first chapter of Thalia Grace & the Olympians: Sea of Monsters. Even though this story still has a few chapters left, I probably won't have the sequel up for a while. If I somehow lost the document, I'll have to retype the entire thing. **

**No matter what the problem turns out to be, I promise to try and post the sequel as quickly as I can. **

* * *

Thalia sprinted up to them, determination broadening her already sharp features. Surprisingly, none of them showed any signs of noticing her. Using this to her advantage, she lengthened her stride in an effort to make as little noise as possible. If the situation spiraled downward quickly, at least she had the element of surprise on her hands. As she neared closer, she could barely decipher the words being spoken.

"You set us up," Percy's accusatory voice sounded. _Gee, now he comes to that conclusion. Genius. _"You hid the master bolt in the backpack. It wasn't Thalia."

"Thalia?" Ares asked, brows high. He chuckled. "This turned out better than I thought. Silly sea spawn. Who do you think was my little apprentice? Why do you think I let her carry the backpack?"

Thalia didn't hear what Annabeth said next, and she didn't think she wanted to hear it. If one more person accused her of stealing her father's weapon, her head was going to explode. It was bad enough the god of war was continuing to weave a twisted story around her. Why did everyone want to pin the blame on her? Was it that believable? Was it that convenient?

Grover bleated in objection. "Thalia wouldn't work with you, Ares."

"Oh?" the god asked, smirking cockily. Thalia wanted to knock his mouth right off his face; if that were physically possible, of course. "She didn't seem to have a problem with it." When his gaze turned to the son of Poseidon, the brunette couldn't hear what he said next. The statement seemed to make Percy even angrier.

The daughter of Zeus dived behind a row of beach chairs. The sunbathing women paid no attention to the creeping, battle-scarred teenager behind them. Ducking when Ares swiveled his head towards the road, she winced in pain. The motion had caused her torn shirt to drag painfully over the skin of her back. It would take months before she healed completely. How did she expect to fend off a god?

"Shut up!" Percy yelled. His scream, unfortunately, caused many bystanders to glance toward him in worry. They probably thought some bratty kid was arguing with a parent. "Stop mentioning her."

"Bet it hit ya like an avalanche when ya found her out, huh?" Ares taunted. He carried an aluminum baseball bat over a shoulder and his leather duster fanned out behind him when a cool breeze rolled by. "Girlfriends are a tricky thing, kid."

Girlfriend? _Girlfriend? _Did every immortal being assume they were dating? Her face paled slightly with her next thought. Did her father think they were? As absent as he was known to be, Zeus was the very definition of overprotective. She hadn't thought so before the night on Half-Blood Hill, but she had grown to realize he _did _care about her.

Percy was kind of cute when he wasn't treating her with hatred. She tilted her head to the side as she continued to observe the conversation. With a start, she blushed. She…she had a crush on _Percy Jackson_. Part of her actually wished they were dating. Gods, what came over her? Thalia Grace didn't crush, and she sure as hell didn't grow dependent on another person. Dating wasn't her thing. Yet, she wanted to date the son of one of her father's greatest rivals. She wasn't sure what mental issue she possessed, but she figured she might as well go ahead and check herself into an insane asylum.

Percy didn't comment on the girlfriend thing. "You tricked us. I don't know if Thalia is guilty," he admitted, although his voice held contempt when he said her name. "But, I know you have the helm. I intend to get it back."

Ares laughed mockingly. "You intend to get it back?" he repeated, incredulous. "You were supposed to die, kid. All of you were. Thankfully, young Thalia is already on her way to die."

Percy flashed red. His fists clenched at his sides. "What?" he asked, his voice nearly cracking. "What did you just say?"

"Don't worry about it," the god teased, grinning.

"What did you just say?" the son of Poseidon echoed his previous words.

"Thalia is receiving punishment as we speak," Ares said, failing to hide a smirk. "Unless Sir Corpse Breath was impatient and decided to decapitate her earlier."

"Decapitate?" Annabeth asked. "Why would he execute an alliance?"

"Alliance," the god mocked. His mouth twitched. "Funny word."

The red faded from Percy's face. His mouth opened and closed several times in shock. "No," the demigod murmured, just barely loud enough for the daughter of Zeus to overhear. "No. No. No."

Ares smiled crookedly. "Yes. Yes. Yes."

Thalia swallowed. The god of war had somehow tricked the questing teens to believe that she had died innocent. The son of Poseidon surely felt as if her blood was on his hands. If it hadn't been for Hera, the daughter of Zeus would have been killed. Recovering from her surprise, she smirked slowly. Ares thought she was dead. She had yet another advantage over him.

Hera. Thalia refrained from puking. The Queen of the Gods had been the one to save her. The brunette didn't know how to feel about that. More than anything, she was bewildered. Why would someone who loathed her very existence break her out of the Underworld? Wouldn't Hera want her to die? Unless the goddess wanted to use her for something, she wouldn't want her around. No matter what exactly Hera wanted her for, Thalia was going to confront her father about it. If anyone stood a chance at helping her figure out what the evil goddess wanted, it was said she-demon's husband.

"You're lying," Percy claimed, voice quivering. "Sh-she was helping Hades."

"No," Ares said his voice sickly sweet. "Your girlfriend is dead."

The god reached into his pocket and dug out a dark ski cap. "And to think…she was killed over a lousy helm." Smirking, he looked up. "Well, that and a mistake on your part, Jackson." The cap transformed into a bronze war helmet, riddled with ebony jewels.

"The helm of darkness," Thalia murmured to herself, in sync with Grover. A tanned blonde spun around in her beach chair and raised a drawn-on brow. "Sorry," the daughter of Zeus mumbled, stepping further back. She was surprised the woman didn't whack her upside the head with a bottle of tanning lotion.

The daughter of Zeus couldn't make her move yet, unfortunately. She didn't mean to plan things dramatically, but she felt it wouldn't benefit her very much if she chose to rush out into the line of fire before things grew serious.

"Where was I?" Ares asked himself. "Oh, yes. Barnacle Beard will be mad at Corpse King for killing you, likewise for the death of Thalia. Zeus will hate Poseidon for the absence of his master bolt, and Hades won't be able to find his helm. Pretty soon, we'd have an all-out slugfest on our hands."

Annabeth cleared her throat pointedly. "There's just one problem with your plan, Ares," she said firmly.

"Unfortunately," he agreed before she could continue. He glared at the son of Poseidon. "You aren't dead yet," the god snarled. "_Fortunately_, that's going to change very soon."

"Thalia didn't have any part of it," Percy muttered, just loud enough for the brunette to hear. Even though she wished to remain bitter towards him, she found it near impossible. He sounded pitiful, and ashamed of himself. He had already blamed himself for her death once in the past, and here he was doing it again.

Her chest felt as if an anchor had dropped down onto it. For the first time, she was hurt over the misfortunes of someone else. She had felt pity before, even towards her drunk of a mother. But…this—this wasn't pity. She sure as hell didn't know what it was, but she knew it had nothing to do with feeling sorry for Percy. Thalia didn't want to pat him on the back and flash him a semi-comforting look. She got the urge to rush up to him and bury her head in his chest. The brunette wanted to _make _him feel better, no matter what she had to sacrifice in the process.

Thalia loved Percy Jackson. She didn't know exactly _how _she loved him, but she knew she cared for him deeply. Whether her feelings were friendly or passionate, she didn't want anything to hurt him. She wasn't _in love _with him; at least, she didn't think she was. Thalia had never been a girl to jump the gun. Although she was naturally impulsive and reacted from pure instinct while dealing with tragic situations, she never gave herself away so easily and willingly. As cliché as it sounded, she was slow to trust. In turn, she was even slower to love.

Admittedly, she had crushed on Luke. She came to realize, however, that her love for him ran far too short. They traveled the country together for nearly two years, and that still hadn't been long enough for her. Yet, as she observed the beautiful-eyed son of Poseidon across the shore, she found that she was at a loss. She didn't know what she felt. Somehow, it felt stronger than whatever she had felt for Luke. How was that even possible?

Her mother had always shot from the hip, and fell madly in love in the blink of an eye. Seraphina Grace would proudly announce her love, and spend the next few months raving over her newest boy toy. Then, when the man abruptly tore away from her, she would spend day after day drinking away her sorrows. Thalia didn't want to end up like that. Part of her knew Percy wouldn't be the type to leave another person so hopelessly, but she couldn't help but regard the familiar fear of having her trust betrayed. After all, he _had _left her in the Underworld.

_He thought you were a traitor, and he had good reason to surmise as much, _the rational part of her brain reasoned.

"Yes, yes," Ares groaned in aggravation. "We all know, all right? Give it up, kid. Stop moping about that damn girl."

"She's not just some girl," Percy argued, raising his voice menacingly.

The god of war sneered hatefully. "Isn't that sweet? Sea spawn has a little crush." A wicked glint in his fiery eyes, Ares leaned forward. "Too bad she's dead."

"Too bad she's not," Thalia whispered under her breath, maneuvering herself closer to the battle and managing to use beach chairs and plant life for cover. She didn't know why in the hell she expected to battle a god when she was so horribly injured, but she chose not to dwell too much on it. There would be time for tending to her wounds later. They didn't matter right now. Nothing else mattered but getting her friends out alive.

"Why didn't you keep the lightning bolt for yourself?" the daughter of Athena inquired, unable to resist her wild curiosity. "Why give it to Hades, of all people?"

The blonde certainly had a point there. If Ares had wanted war or power, he could have easily started war among the gods without the assistance of Hades.

Ares' jaw twitched. "Why didn't I…yeah…with that kind of fire power, I could totally…"

Thalia stared on in bewilderment. It appeared as if the god was talking to some voice inside his head, rather to himself. Ares' face clouded over. "I didn't want the trouble," he answered. "Better to have you caught with it."

"You're lying," the son of Poseidon accused, voice cold. It even intimidated Thalia, and that was certainly saying something. "None of this was your idea. You're working for someone."

"Am not!" the god argued. Smoke drifted from above his sunglasses, and the daughter of Zeus could practically see the flames roaring in his sockets.

"Someone else got a hero to steal the two items, and the hero wasn't Thalia," Percy guessed. "Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt them down, you actually caught the thief. But, rather than turn him in, you let him free. Something or someone convinced you to let him go. You held the items until another _hero _came around to complete the stupid delivery. That thing in the pit is controlling you. Using you as a mere puppet. Stringing you up for twisted entertainment and mangling your thoughts around—"

"I am the god of war, kid! I take orders from no one. I don't have dreams!"

Thalia stared, wide-eyed. How had Percy figured it out so quickly? Even she could figure it all out and piece the plan together. His assumptions actually made logical sense.

"Who said anything about dreams?" Percy taunted.

_Busted, _the daughter of Zeus thought wryly.

Agitation clear in his features, Ares attempted to mask his irritation with a smirk. "Let's get back to the problem at hand, champ. I can't have you taking that bolt back up to Olympus. Those knuckleheads might actually listen to you. So, I'm forced to kill you. Nothing personal, though."

He snapped his fingers, and the sand exploded in front of his feet. A wild boar, matching the mighty Chimera in size, erupted from the shore. The beast pawed at the ground, snarling loudly in Percy's face and fixing the boy with its beady eyes.

The son of Poseidon stepped into the surf. "Fight me yourself, Ares."

Thalia struggled to keep hidden. She wanted nothing more than to rush out and sock the god in the nose, but she knew it wasn't the right time. She just had to _wait_, as impatient as she was.

Ares laughed in response, sounding slightly uneasy. "Despite being an offspring of one of the Big Three, you've only got one real talent. Running off like a frightened little bunny rabbit." _Uh, technically rabbits hop_, Thalia thought dumbly. "You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You ran from the daughter of Zeus and left her to die. You don't have what it takes to fight a god."

Percy growled low in his throat. Thalia could tell he didn't like that cruel mention of her so-called death. It seemed to anger him more than anything else the god said. "What, Ares? You chicken shit now?"

Usually, Thalia was the one saying words like that.

"In your adolescent dreams," Ares sneered. "No direct involvement. Sorry, punk. You just aren't on my level."

"Percy, run!" Annabeth yelled in warning.

The boar charged.

Percy didn't move an inch, and stayed planted to his spot. Digging his pen from the pocket of his shorts, the son of Poseidon hurriedly uncapped it. It was clear he was through running away, from anyone. Even though he had tired to mask how much the god's words had affected him, it was clear that they had crawled under his skin.

He sidestepped, swinging his sword up just as the boar passed him by. He managed to lop off a tusk, and the creature was sent into the water.

The son of Poseidon screamed, "Wave!"

At his command, a wave surged up and engulfed the boar, wrapping around the animal. The boar gave a terrified squeal before the sea swallowed it, dragging it downward.

Thalia gasped from the sight. Percy was much stronger than she had anticipated him to be. She found herself envious of his power. She had never made the sky swallow anyone before. How the hell was _that _fair? She was going to have a serious talk with her father. She needed to learn the extent of her power.

"Are you going to fight me now?" Percy questioned. "Or you got another pet you want to hide behind?"

Ares roared in anger. "Watch it, loser. I could turn you into a—"

"Newt? Turtle? Raccoon? Tapeworm?" Percy listed off. "Yeah, I'm sure you could. It would save you from getting your lazy ass whooped, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, man," Ares snarled. "You are begging to get smashed into a grease spot, aren't you?" Flames danced off of the top of his glasses.

"If I lose," the son of Poseidon proposed, "you get to turn me into whatever your godly heart desires. If I win, I get to take the helm and the lightning bolt, and you _go away_."

Ares slung to bat off his shoulder. "How would you like to get beat, kid? Classic or modern."

Percy raised his sword. The god shrugged. "Classic it is, then," he said, and his bat transformed into a bronze greatsword.

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "Don't do this. He's a god."

Since when had she been so protective of him? Thalia shook her head. There was no reason she should be jealous.

"It's pronounced coward, Annabeth," Percy remarked, scowling.

The daughter of Athena gulped. "Wear this," she said, pulling off her camp necklace. "For luck, if anything."

Thalia gritted her teeth, watching as the blonde placed the necklace around Percy's neck. She didn't like the way the girl's fingers lingered on his skin before she pulled away. "Reconciliation," Annabeth said. "Athena and Poseidon together."

Percy blushed. He actually blushed. Automatically reasoning that he absolutely _must _be head-over-heels for the blonde, Thalia grumbled bitterly to herself. "Thanks," the son of Poseidon said.

The satyr handed the demigod a flattened tin can and said, "And, take this. The satyrs stand behind you."

Really? A freaking tin can? _Really_?

"Wow…" Percy trailed off in confusion. "I don't know what to say, Grover."

He stuffed the tin can into his back pocket. Ares sauntered closer. "You all done saying good-bye?" the god asked impatiently. His blade glinted maliciously in the summer sun. "I've been fighting for eternity, kid. I have unlimited strength and I cannot die. What have you got?"

_An actual brain, _Thalia thought to herself, but kept quiet. She was too close to them now to risk saying anything.

Percy backed up until his ankles were submerged in water. Thalia realized what he was doing. The kid was playing it smart, keeping in his father's domain.

Thalia's fists clenched in worry as Ares struck downwards, only to miss. To her surprise, Percy was even faster and managed to dive out from under the attack. She watched in awe as he catapulted over the god, slashing his sword on the way down. Because Ares was the god of war, he anticipated the jab and deflected it with the hilt of his sword.

The daughter of Zeus fought for patience. She couldn't afford to jump in at the inappropriate time. Unfortunately, on the god's next swing, the son of Poseidon was forced to leap to dry land. Ares knew what Percy wanted, and prevented the demigod from stepping into the water again.

The water gave him strength, Thalia realized. Without being in the water, he stood even less of a chance in fighting off the god. Ares kept pushing him further away from the surf. Seeing her opportunity, and not able to standby any longer, Thalia rose to her feet and searched her pockets for her weapon. Hades had removed it from her, and she wanted to punch herself in the face when she realized she no longer had it. That was the second time she lost Thunderbird. At least she still had Aegis on her wrist, she amended.

But, without an offensive weapon, she'd be overpowered in moments. Her eyes caught sight of the blue nylon bag, sitting behind the daughter of Athena, and she furrowed her brows. She had never done it before, but using her father's weapon was her only chance. She just hoped he couldn't incinerate her for it later. Thalia walked out into the open, but wasn't immediately noticed by her friends.

"Don't worry, kid," Ares laughed, pressing his blade firmly against Riptide. "You'll get to see Thalia very soon."

"When's soon?" Thalia called out. When the god spun around in surprise, she vaulted herself into the air and aimed a kick towards his face. Catching him in the side of his head, she quickly leaped from the ground when she landed. Her ribs burned and every tendon in her body ached, but she fought to remain conscious.

Percy gasped. "Thalia? How…how are you alive?"

"Long story," she commented, developing a fighting stance. "We'll talk about it later."

"Damn it!" Ares cursed. "Why doesn't anyone die when they're supposed to?"

The god wiped at his mouth. Spinning his sword, he swiftly knocked Thalia in the face with the flat end of the blade. Normally, the move would have only pissed her off; however, as she was currently in the worse state possible, she was quickly sent to the ground. Bracing her hands above her head and ignoring the pain, she flipped herself to her feet.

Annabeth rushed to her side. "Thalia, you don't know how sorry we are—"

"Yeah," the daughter of Zeus snapped, "I don't know. I don't give a shit right now, either. Hand me the bag."

"What?" the daughter of Athena asked shyly, staring in confusion. Under other circumstances, Thalia would've found the expression cute. "I—I don't understand. Why do you want the bag?"

Thalia raised a brow. "I have to have something to fight with, don't I?"

"Thalia, you can't!" Annabeth exclaimed, coming to her own conclusions. "No one has ever used Zeus' bolt! Not even one of his children. It could kill you."

"Is that so?" At Annabeth's sure nod, Thalia smirked. "How?"

"Well…I—I don't know," the daughter of Athena admitted. "It's never happened before—and for a reason! It isn't meant to be used by a mortal."

"Good thing, too," Thalia agreed. "Luckily, I'm not exactly a mortal. If anyone is able to use it, it's me. Hand me the bag."

Before the blonde could argue again, Grover picked up the backpack and flung it towards the daughter of Zeus. She didn't hesitate in zipping it open and taking the master bolt out. It glowed even brighter when her skin came into contact with it and sparks danced wildly across her body. A strange sort of power sailed through her, and she confidently spun it around with practiced ease.

Ares had turned to fight Percy after knocking her on her back, and he continued to rain down attack after attack. The son of Poseidon stepped in when the god swung, and that was his mistake. The god of war disarmed him and kicked him in the chest, causing him to shoot twenty feet away.

Thalia raised the bolt and screamed into the air. Summoning up the lightning that was coursing through her body, she swung the lightning bolt as she would a sword. Although the swing itself had no effect on the god, waves of lightning shot off the end of the cylindrical weapon and impaled him. To her surprise, it had been enough to propel him even farther than Percy. She didn't allow herself to feel too prideful. Ares was almost instantly on his feet again.

Her palm began to burn. The master bolt, which was previously welcoming her, turned against her and cracked her skin. Wincing, she fought to hold on. If she could just hold Ares off for a little longer—maybe give Percy a chance to do something—she would be satisfied. From the corner of her eye, she saw the son of Poseidon slowly regaining ground.

She wasn't paying attention, and Ares used it to his advantage. He swung his blade. Because he was still quite a few feet from her, it only managed to slice open her cheek. Thalia cried out, but returned her attention to the battle. What was she thinking? She wasn't cut out for fighting a god. Even if she had the master bolt, she didn't exactly know how to use it.

"Playin' with Daddy's toys, champ?" Ares taunted, running his tongue over his teeth. "Taking a stroll in his work boots?"

Thalia glared. "Having fun being an arrogant dick?" she retorted, although it didn't sound nearly as witty with her panting like a wet mutt. The burning of her palm was nearly unbearable now. Smoke rose from her grip, but she ignored it and lashed out again. Thunder rumbled across the previously calm sky and storm clouds shifted above. The daughter of Zeus couldn't help but grin smugly. The rain would definitely be on her side.

With the first drop of precipitation, Ares found himself flung onto his back once again. Sparks spiraled around his body, nearly searing his leather duster off. He growled, and Thalia tried to refrain from mentally photo-shopping the head of a Mastiff on his body. Really, she tried.

He was about to advance, when he found himself staring intently at the master bolt. Thalia bit down hard on her bottom lip, trying to shake off the urge to scream. The weapon continued to burn her already calloused and injured hand.

Ares laughed suddenly. "Your mortality is your downfall, kid. Don't you see? The bolt senses the human in you, more so than the godliness. It thought you were your father originally, but it seems as if it's beginning to change its mind."

"It doesn't have a mind," the daughter of Zeus argued. "It's an object."

"Oh, but it's much more than that."

"Thalia!" Percy yelled. "He's right. Put it down!"

"No," she said. "No. I have to use it."

"Thalia!" the son of Poseidon called again, infuriated. "Put. It. Down."

Ares raised his sword to her throat. "Yes, Thalia," he mocked Percy's voice. "Put it down before it burns the mortality out of you. That's what it's doing, you know."

"You're bluffing," Thalia accused, knocking the blade away with the bolt.

Sparks flew across the weapon and shot up Ares' arm, causing him to wince and retreat a few steps. "Fuck!" she screamed. Her hand nearly released the bolt, but she managed to hold on. Never in her life had she felt so pained. Unseen flames began to travel up her arm, circling in the center of her forearm. She watched as her skin began to darken.

"Drop it!" Annabeth shouted. Grover echoed her shrill cry.

Thalia made no move to let go, stuck staring in terror at the developing burns.

Ares snickered. "As much as I'd love to watch you combust, I'd much rather kill you myself." Despite the fact that it must have pained him to do so, he smacked the bolt from her grasp and swung his sword. Sirens sounded in the distance, and Thalia was sure she was done for.

Acting quickly, she tapped her bracelet and screamed, "Aegis!"

The bracelet expanded, flattening into a wide bronze shield. Intricate, Ancient Greek designs were hammered around the rim, and the head of Medusa sat menacingly in the center of the disk. Raising Aegis in front of her face, she barely managed to block the blow of Ares' greatsword.

Even though all of the teenagers present had already seen her shield before, they looked hesitant to step closer. Percy, however, shook his fear off and charged into the battle. Thalia didn't have a weapon, but the son of Poseidon did. A plan formulated in her mind, and she allowed herself a small half-smile.

"You play offense," she ordered the demigod. "I'll be defense."

"Hey!" Ares cried. "No one said anything about two against one!"

"What?" Percy asked. "Is the little god of war scared?"

The immortal released a bone-shattering war cry and attacked relentlessly. With every blow, he was unable to land a hit. When Thalia wasn't able to block with her shield, Percy easily parried. As long as they were able to work together, Ares couldn't overpower them in combat. Seeming to realize this, the god of war sacrificed presenting an opening in order to take one of them out of the running. As Thalia was the one without an offensive weapon, he aimed for her.

Unfortunately, the daughter of Zeus realized this too late. Ares, not even flinching at the sight of Medusa, lifted a heavy biker boot and Spartan-kicked her away from the battle. To make things even worse, she landed in the tide. Even though Poseidon had seemed relatively friendly in her dream, she didn't want to risk entering his domain. She made to hurriedly climb out, but found herself incapable of doing so. The water was retraining her to the wet sand, circling around her form.

Despite the slight panic she felt, she sighed in relief. The rushing water soothed her seared palm, even though it should've worsened her pain. The salt usually made wounds worse, but she didn't feel any further burning. It was as if all of the salt had been washed out of the sea.

"Keep fighting!" she commanded Percy when he chanced looking back at her.

Poseidon wouldn't kill her. Would he?

"There, officer!" someone yelled from the beach. "See?"

"Looks like those kids on TV…what the heck?" a gruff cop shouted.

"That guy's armed," another cop announced. "Call for backup."

To her surprise, the frenzied waves failed to pull her further into the ocean. She was rooted to the sand, almost as if an invisible force were holding her down.

Percy struck out with his sword, only to have his attack deflected. He smartly made his way back into the surf, luring Ares with him. Thalia was a good forty feet from them. She felt worthless, just lying there. As she fought to stand again, she was disappointed to find that she could only lift her head.

"Admit it, kid," Ares snarled to Percy. "You've already lost. You've no hope. I'm just toying with you at this point."

Thalia observed the god quietly. Now that she really paid attention and let her demigod instinct control her, she noticed the way Ares would tense. Right before he attacked, she could anticipate where he would strike. She noted that Percy was coming to this conclusion as well. A smirk lit up his face, one that she personally found sort of sexy. Thalia blushed. She did not just think Percy Jackson looked _sexy_, of all things holy.

Annabeth and Grover stood somewhere off to the left, shielding themselves from the numerous spectators that gathered near the road. Cop cars lined the beach. Thalia glanced to the sky to see the three Furies soaring above, their leathery wings flapping loudly. Sirens sounded again, as more police cars parked nearby.

Percy winced as Ares managed to cut through the sleeve of his shirt and graze his arm.

"Drop the guns!" a policeman called through his megaphone. "Set them on the ground. Now!"

Ah, the Mist. It was a frustrating thing.

Seeing as she would no longer need to use her shield if she wasn't able to stand, Thalia deactivated Aegis. She didn't want the mortals to see it and believe it to be some kind of bomb. It had happened in the past.

Policemen crouched behind their cars, aiming pistols at the battling men. Ares turned and shot them a look of godly fury.

"This is a private matter!" the god bellowed. "Leave us!"

With a wave of his hand, bright red fire raced across the line of patrol cars. Few of the police were able to escape before they all exploded. Thalia was pretty sure she saw an ignited arm lying somewhere. The crowd of bystanders dispersed, the people screaming.

"Come on, champ," Ares cackled. "I'll roast you, too. We'll call it a family barbeque."

"That was lame," Thalia muttered beneath her breath. Gods, why couldn't she move? Did Poseidon _want _his son to get killed?

Her eyes widened as she considered the unknown force in Tatarus. Was it somehow preventing her from assisting Percy? Did it want to split them up, so they'd meet their fates individually? Thalia yelled in her effort to lift herself from the sand. Managing to lift her injured hand into the air, she quickly submerged it once more when it began to ache.

_Stop struggling, would you?_

_ Dad_, she growled. _Let me up._

Rather than respond to her, he simply continued to restrain her. Why the hell was her own father betraying her? Did he want Percy to get killed? Of course. He probably still believed the son of Poseidon stole his lightning bolt.

_We have the lightning bolt, _Thalia reasoned, hoping her father would respond this time. When he didn't, she sighed heavily. _He didn't take it._

Again, she received no response.

"Let me go!" she roared, slamming her fists against the ground.

A powerful force threw her from the water, slinging her back onto the shore. Thalia crawled to her feet, not even bothering to dust the sand from her clothes. Ares sneered, beckoning her forward with a hand while he slashed at Percy.

With difficulty, the son of Poseidon deflected the attack. "Thalia," he said, panting. "Get out of here."

"No," she said, wading back into the sea. The waves rushed even more violently, striking against Percy's back. She was up to her shins in the water, a good distance away from the battle.

"You have no weapon," Percy pointed out, attempting to fake a blow to the right. His sword was knocked aside. The waves bounced off his back. The son of Poseidon's face lit up suddenly. He must've had an idea. A crazy one, at that.

The waves began to recede, and the water surged a bit calmer. Thalia was no child of the sea, but even she could feel the tension building in the ocean. Ares grinned confidently, thinking the display of yielding meant Percy was growing tired. The son of Poseidon played along, lowering his blade slightly as if he were exhausted. The pressure was nearly lifting Percy off his feet. Ares raised his sword, and the demigod released the tide and leaped, rocketing over the god's arrogant head.

Before Thalia could be engulfed along with Ares, Percy manipulated the water to send her crashing up into him. He wrapped his arms around her and supported her as the wave died down. They landed behind the god, and Thalia's heart was beating rapidly. She didn't know if it was due to the thrill of wave riding or Percy's arms being around her, but she had a feeling it was the latter.

Reluctantly, Percy let go of her. The demigod feinted towards Ares' head, and the god spun around to block. Unfortunately for the immortal, he was disoriented and didn't expect the dark-haired boy's trick. The son of Poseidon lunged to the side and stabbed Riptide into the water, slicing into the back of the god's heel.

Ares howled in pain. The water shot back fifty feet, leaving the area they were standing in dry. Ichor—the blood of the gods—poured from his heel. The god looked at a loss for words. Thalia couldn't honestly blame him. She, herself, was surprised that a demigod had managed to wound an actual immortal, all-powerful being. Said immortal limped towards them, muttering ancient curses. Assuming he was planning to strike again, Thalia chose to step up to the plate.

Raising a hand to the air, she released a cry. A magnificent bolt of lightning surged down and reflected off her palm, hitting the stumbling god in the center of his chest. His shirt, charred and torn, fell from his form. Before the god could advance on them again (he looked extremely pissed when his luxurious silk red shirt slipped off), something stopped him.

Light faded all together. Sound and color slipped away. A chilling essence clouded the beach, slowed time, and filled Thalia's heart with dread. Suddenly, she felt useless. Why was she even trying to fight? It wouldn't make a difference. They would all die in the end. Why couldn't their misery end today?

The darkness faded away. Color slowly, but surely, returned. The entire beach erupted into a hurricane of sounds, all of the people attempting to speak over one another. Ares appeared just as shocked as everyone else. Police cars continued to burn behind them. The crowd of spectators rushed away. Annabeth and Grover stared at their strong companions in shock. The water flooded back into place, sweeping a river of Ares' blood into the waves.

The god of war lowered his sword. "You've both made an enemy today, godlings," he said, his voice rough and unforgiving. "Years until the Great Prophecy, and you've already sealed your fates. You bear a curse, demigods. Beware."

Ares began to glow.

"Percy! Thalia!" Annabeth shouted. "Look away!"

Trusting their friend's wise advice, the teenagers covered their eyes. "If we look, we disintegrate," Thalia heard Percy muttering to himself.

She rolled her eyes but allowed herself a laugh. When the light died out, they removed their hands and looked to the ocean. Ares had disappeared. The tide rolled out to reveal Hades' helm of darkness. The son of Poseidon leaned down and picked it up, turning it around in his hands. Although he seemed hesitant to do so, he eventually met Thalia's curious stare.

"I'm so sorry," he said, his voice surprisingly hoarse.

Thalia wanted to be angry. She wanted to punch him in the face and stomp on his feet. Yet…she wasn't mad. She didn't have the urge to hurt him. The daughter of Zeus grinned easily, shocked by how natural it felt. She clapped him on the shoulder in comfort.

"Don't worry about it, all right?" she said. "I would've done the exact same thing."

"Thalia!" Grover called, rushing up to them. Annabeth followed close behind. "Percy. Are you two all right?"

"Couldn't be better," the son of Poseidon replied, smiling toothily. He wrapped an arm around Thalia's shoulders, causing her to blush. He looked to her. "The lightning thing was wicked."

"Not as wicked as that water wall thing," she disagreed. "Now _that_ was impressive."

Percy laughed. He took off Annabeth's necklace and handed it to the blonde. "Whatever you say, Ozone."

"Brine."

Annabeth frowned, watching the exchange. "You guys are okay again?"

"What do you mean?" Thalia asked in confusion. "We're alive. I'd say that was pretty okay."

"No," the daughter of Athena said. "I meant, are you two okay with each other? Thalia, we left you in the Underworld. Aren't you mad? Don't you want to knock our lights out or something?"

Thalia shrugged. "Well, I do love punching."

Percy paled. "What?"

"Just kidding," the daughter of Zeus said. She looked up. "Looks like the Furies want that helm, Jackson."

They all followed her line of sight and watched on as the three monsters landed in front of them. The one in the middle—Alecto, Thalia recognized—stepped forward. Her fangs were bared, but she appeared more disappointed than threatening.

"We saw the whole thing," the monster hissed. "So, it was truly neither of you?" She gestured to Thalia and Percy.

Percy tossed her the helm, taking her by surprise. "Return it to Hades. Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war. There is no need for it, after all."

"Like there was in the first place," Annabeth muttered.

"Live well, Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace," the previous Ms. Dodds ran a forked tongue over her lips. "Become true heroes. Because if you do not, and if you two ever happen to be in my clutches again…" she cackled evilly.

"I'll even provide the barbeque sauce," Thalia negotiated jokingly. The demons shrieked in delight before flying into the smoky sky.

"Did any of you feel that…whatever it was?" Percy asked them all. The all nodded in response. Grover shivered from the thought.

"Must have been the Furies," the satyr remarked.

Thalia had a feeling it had been something far stronger than the Furies. Three monsters weren't enough to stop the god of war. Percy shared a knowing look with Annabeth, and the daughter of Zeus once again suppressed her jealousy. The two teenagers seemed to know exactly what had caused the sudden darkness, but they didn't appear as if they were willing to share.

Remembering the master bolt, Thalia glanced around worriedly. It had…disappeared? Grover, seeing her look of panic, tossed her the blue nylon bag. "Already put it back in there," the satyr said. "I didn't want Ares getting a hold of it and using it against you."

Thalia smirked. "Thanks," she said, shouldering the bag.

"We have to get back to New York," Percy announced. "By tonight."

Annabeth gasped. "That's impossible. Unless we—"

"Fly," the son of Poseidon finished, nodding.

"Fly?" Annabeth repeated incredulously. "Like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, _and _carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?"

Thalia gestured to herself. "Hello? Daughter of Zeus, here. Father wouldn't blast the plane out of the sky with me in it. At least, I hope he wouldn't." The brunette patted the daughter of Athena on the back, maybe a bit too roughly. "Come on, Princess. We have a plane to catch."


	25. Lack of Understanding

**A/N: Short, yes. But full of Perlia. I feared it may be progressing far too fast, but I am going to slowly retract from the tension. This is mostly a filler chapter, so there won't be much action. However, I am already beginning to write the next chapter and I suspect it will be done soon.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own the Percy Jackson series. If I did, things would be extremely different. **

* * *

It was several minutes before bystanders recovered from their shock and large news vans began pouring in from the road. The demigods played along with the reporters when cameras suddenly swung towards them. After hearing the investigated story from mortals, the questing teens provided improvisational lies. Percy, being the most convincing of all, held most of the attention.

"All I want," he pretended to choke back tears, "is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a worthless punk, I knew that somehow…we would be okay. And I know he'll want to award each and every person in this beautiful town of Los Angeles with a free appliance from his store. Here's the phone number."

Thalia had to give him props for that one. She held back her laughter and continued to listen to the reporters around them. Conveniently, Ares was being blamed for it all. The bombing in St. Louis, the bus, outside of the diner, the fight on the beach—_everything_. Percy, Annabeth, Grover and her had been kidnapped and dragged along on a cross-country trip. The Mist was often a beautiful thing.

Thalia spoke when appropriate. "No," she answered a question from a reporter. "I knew Percy before, and we were both camping with Ms. Jackson." She wiped a false tear from her cheek. "I hope Gabe doesn't honestly think I did something to his family."

By the end of it, the reporters and policeman had raised up enough money for the four of them to board a plane back to New York.

Thanks to the utility of Annabeth's invisibility cap (which Thalia found completely awesome), they were able to swerve beneath the press' radar upon arriving at LAX. The children of the Big Three chose seats next to one another, while their other two friends sat further in the back. Glancing over to her companion, the daughter of Zeus was surprised to find that he was just as nervous as she.

He gripped the armrests tightly, his knuckles white.

Impulsive as ever, she reached out and gripped his hand in hers. The son of Poseidon looked up in surprise, but slowly smiled. He squeezed her hand even tighter, and even though she was severely anxious, she couldn't think of anywhere she'd rather be.

Closing her eyes, and slouching back in her seat, she braced herself for sleep.

"Thalia?" Percy called suddenly. She opened her eyes groggily, turned to face him, and raised a brow, silently telling him to continue. "I don't want you to go up to Olympus with me."

His words struck her like a dagger, but she tried not to let it show on her face. "Why?" she asked, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"You said there were gods after you," he said, turning his gaze to the front. He was hiding his expression from her, and she had a feeling it was because his eyes betrayed his words. "Olympus is God Central. I can't let you go up there, knowing I'd only be putting you in a dangerous situation."

"We fought Ares together," she argued, sitting up straight. "Medusa. Chimera. Crusty. There's no way in Hades you're getting rid of me now, Jackson. You and me…we're in this together."

She didn't know when it had happened, but some time during her rant the two of them had leaned tauntingly close to one another. She could feel his warm breath fanning across her lips, damn near begging her to part them and taste them with her own. Swallowing thickly, the demigoddess let her blue gaze linger on his average-sized mouth, tempting her without end. She had never thought of anyone else's lips as particularly attractive before, but she felt that if she let her resolve slip for a miniscule moment, she would lean forward to seal his in a kiss.

"Together," he repeated, tasting the words on his tongue, sending fleeting gazes to the lower half of her face.

The daughter of Zeus was entranced; she didn't feel the restless turbulence when the plane took off. Previous fears shoved to the side, Percy slipped his hand from hers and placed it on her leather-clad forearm. If it were possible, they leaned even closer to each other, quickly folding up the bothersome armrest.

"About that…" he murmured, no longer bothering to avert his stare. Despite the serious atmosphere that had suddenly encased them, Thalia failed to hide her blush. Just when she thought he was going to close the troubling distance of three inches, he spoke again.

"I'm sorry for leaving you behind. I—I didn't know what to believe. And, I suppose deep down, I trusted you didn't betray us. I was using you as a sort of scapegoat for recent events, and I can't apologize enough." He released the breath he had been holding. "I know you're going to tell me to stop saying I'm sorry, but please. Just hear me out. I _left _you with Lord Hades."

"How does this have anything to do with me going up to Olympus?"

"I've betrayed you once, Thalia," he asserted, frowning. "I'm not doing it again."

Thalia pulled away from him, but looped her fingers through his once again. "You can't stop me from going to see my father," she argued, closing her eyes. "I have something to talk to him about."

"I'll be fine," Percy said. "If something bad happens, I don't want you to be hurt, too."

If she wasn't anything else, the daughter of Zeus was stubborn. Eventually, some way or another, she stepped up to the plate and got her way, even if she had to seek out solutions on her own. Jaw clenched, squeezing the boy's hand without restraint, she opened her eyes again and leaned slightly forward.

"I'm going with you."

"No."

"Don't make me pull rank," she threatened.

"Rank?" Percy smirked slightly, trying to mask it. Thalia caught it and glared. Why the hell couldn't he be serious for five minutes? Was it his life goal to mock her? "What do you mean, rank?"

"Daughter of Zeus," she stated, voice monotonous. "King of the Gods, eldest child of the Big Three." Letting a haughty smirk of her own show, she snickered. " That rank. I'm narcissistic enough to do it."

The son of Poseidon narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think that mentioning your rank will do anything for you? In case you haven't noticed, the only person here is I. I'm not going to let you come along."

Thalia hummed sarcastically to herself. "How do you plan on getting into Olympus without me to flaunt my rank?" She had a rank? What a laugh that notion was.

Percy frowned, shrugging. "Ask for the 600th floor?"

"You think the man at the desk is going to hand the key over so easily?" she challenged. "Hell, if it were that easy, everyone would be going up to see Dad."

The corners of Percy's lips twitched into a smile. "You called him Dad."

"So?" Suddenly defensive, she flexed her fingers through his and turned her gaze to the window. Trying to repress any motion sickness, she swallowed. They were so high up. Why were they so high up? _Uh, you're in an airplane, genius. _Oh, right.

"Nothing," the son of Poseidon said, blushing.

"No, what were you going to say?" Thalia pried, feeling self-conscious. Should she have not called Zeus her dad? She wasn't very close with the god, after all. Did it make her come off as snobby? On second thought, when had she ever cared if she came off a certain way? Why did she feel the undeniable urge to impress Percy?

"I just…I thought it was cute," the demigod muttered quietly, looking away from her.

The daughter of Zeus flushed a deep scarlet. He…he thought something she did was cute? Clearing her throat suddenly, she straightened her posture. "Thanks," she replied eventually, not knowing what else to say.

"I like holding your hand, you know," he said. Before she could respond, or turn even redder, he gasped. "Your hand! Gods, I can't believe I forgot. Is it still burned? Are you scarred? Does it hurt?"

As he checked the palm of her free hand, she couldn't help but laugh a little. Unfortunately, she soon winced when his cold fingers ran over the center of her palm. While most of the burns had already faded away (what was up with _that_?), the middle of her hand carried the brunt of her injury. The skin, still fiery and chapped, burned beneath the tip of Percy's index finger.

Even though she'd never admit it aloud, she found his worry endearing. It was downright cute, if she were honest with herself.

Because she wasn't necessarily _superhuman_, she continued to feel the pain from her visit to the Underworld. She was pretty sure she had opened up a few of the scars on her back during the fight with Ares, and swore she felt the blood pouring down her back. Her legs and arms were scuffed up due to the several falls she had suffered. At Santa Monica, when it had begun to rain, some of the precipitation had generously healed her more serious wounds. The pain of her ribs had soothed into a dull ache, and she knew her chest was bruised.

Her face was no longer bleeding, but she knew it couldn't possibly be a beautiful sight. She was sure any minute now Percy would _really _catch sight of her and ditch her to sit next to someone prettier. Thalia thought of Sally Jackson. She had sworn not to leave her behind again, so why _had _she? In the back of her mind, she knew it would have been impossible to escape the Underworld with the woman, but she blamed herself. If she had known Kyler planned to break her out the first time, she would've made sure that Sally was following close behind.

Zeus held grudges. He could've saved Percy's mother, but he chose not to. Why would he want to save a lover of his brother? Unfortunately, immortals tended to hold things against their rivals for lifetimes—courtesy of their eternal existence. Honestly, Thalia didn't see how the gods could do it. Even though she'd like to think otherwise, she was surprisingly resilient. She sprung back quickly and overcame her grudges in the blink of an eye, often forgetting them in the process.

"What happened to you?" Percy asked out of the blue, his eyebrows furrowed in obvious concern. He looked over her appearance, and to her surprise he didn't cringe in disgust. "In the Underworld," he clarified. "What happened to you? What did they do to you? How did you escape?"

Thalia allowed her fingers to toy with his, her cheeks turning slightly pink when she recalled his earlier compliment. She wasn't looking forward to explaining her misfortune, but her heart was unintentionally warmed by his sense of compassion.

"Hades threw me in the prisons," she began, turning her gaze to their hands. She busied herself with soothing the tense skin of his fingers. "I don't know if he permitted it or not, but the ghouls—the soldiers that had aimed weapons at you three—took it upon themselves to punish me. I was flogged mostly, but they did enjoy tossing me around every now and then."

With every word, his face grew more and more stern. He was failing to hide his frustration and distress, but all of his attention lingered on her words. Nodding for her to continue her story, he took a sip from the water bottle in front of him.

"I'm not going to go into too much detail," she said. "I don't know how much time had passed—"

"An hour," Percy filled in. "You were gone for an hour, in our time."

"Hades sent someone to fetch me. Thanatos," she continued. "Death, as you probably know him. Thanatos bound my hands, and placed a gag in my mouth before escorting me to this strange arena. My head was placed on a makeshift block. Thanatos was about to slice my head off with an ax when—"

"Ax?" the son of Poseidon suddenly interrupted. "_Ax_? Oh, come on. Death does not have a freaking ax." Shaking his head, he scoffed. "That's just wrong."

"It sounded like an ax!" she argued. "Besides, you think it's easy to chop off someone's head with a scythe, when their head is on a block? _That's_ just wrong."

"It was a scythe."

"It was _not_ a scythe."

"It couldn't have been an ax, Sparky."

"You weren't even there, Kelp Head! How would _you _know?"

"I know the tales about Thanatos. He doesn't use an ax." Percy rolled his eyes dismissively, as if his statement had somehow settled the pointless argument. "Duh."

"Have you ever met him?" Thalia challenged.

"Well…no, but—"

"My point exactly. Get your head out of whatever fairytale book you're reading, and shut up!"

"There are no fairytales about Thanatos," the son of Poseidon snapped in reply. "And, I don't read fairytales, anyway."

"Not even the Little Mermaid?"

Percy glared. "That's not a fairytale. She's a Disney princess."

"Sure it is. Once upon a time—"

"Is there a problem here?" a female voice called. The woman sitting in the seat in front of Percy had spun around during their argument. The redhead flipped a lock of hair from her eyes and raised her eyebrows threateningly.

"Hey, I own this freaking plane!" Thalia scoffed, running her free hand through her short, unkempt curls.

The redhead grimaced in confusion, and the son of Poseidon chuckled. "No, you don't," he said, glancing toward his demigoddess friend with a wide smile. "The airport does."

"Technicalities," the daughter of Zeus mumbled under her breath. "I could own it if I really wanted to…blast it right out of the fuckin' sky. Nothing says ownership like plunging 3,000 feet—"

"Damn it, Thalia!" Percy cried, squeezing her hand. "Stop that! You're worrying me."

"Is little Percy scared?" the daughter of Zeus teased, cooing to him as she would a small child. He pouted, looking away from her. She couldn't help but grin, finding his expression adorable.

"Listen, punks," the woman said, scowling. "I'm having a bad enough day as it is. Shut up, before I call airplane security."

Thalia looked around frantically. They had a security force on the plane? What good would that do them? Were they going to throw her out of the freaking thing if she started a fight? Straightening out the collar of her leather jacket, she allowed herself to relax back into the seat.

The daughter of Zeus turned her steely gaze to the upset woman, a smirk dancing on her chapped lips. "You won't have any further problems with us, ma'am," Thalia assured, her voice taunting. She couldn't help it; it wasn't in her blood to obey and conform to the desires of others. "Scout's honor."

"Whatever," the woman sneered, turning around in her seat. "Filthy vagrant."

"How cute, she thinks she's won," the demigoddess mumbled to herself.

Percy shot her a look of warning. "Don't do anything to get us kicked off."

Thalia pretended to be shocked by the assumption. "Why, I would never!"

"Thalia."

"All right, all right," she agreed, sighing heavily. "Fine. I'll be good."

The son of Poseidon flashed a little smile. "Thank you," he said, his facial features contorting in an almost ridiculously prideful expression. Thalia couldn't help but laugh at his silliness. "I'm sorry for interrupting you earlier. It's your story, so he must have whatever you claim he does. Would you mind continuing?" he asked, giving her that irresistibly charming half-smile.

Smiling smugly, the daughter of Zeus shrugged. "Sure," she said after a moment of silence. "I heard my father's voice in my head, telling me to look alive."

Percy's eyebrows furrowed. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah," she scoffed. "Confused me a little, too. Then, I realized much later on, that he was actually warning me."

"Warning you about what?" the demigod asked, snickering. "About the…_scythe _being two inches from your head? Kind of a late warning, if so."

Thalia took a slow, deep breath. Fixing him with a serious stare, she scowled. "Don't start that up again." He mock saluted, trying not to laugh. Despite how much she wanted to be angry, she couldn't. She found herself laughing a little also. "Anyway," she continued, "he was actually warning me about Hera."

"Hera?" her companion repeated. "As in, Queen of the Gods?"

"No, as in Queen of Scots. Yes, Queen of the Gods."

Percy snorted. "Loser."

"Whatever," Thalia brushed off his comment, knowing he was only jesting. "She showed up, practically handed Hades his ass on a silver platter, and then _poofed _me out of there."

"Poofed?" the son of Poseidon mocked. "I've never been poofed before."

"It's a strange experience."

Percy cleared his throat. "So…you're all right now?" he asked, almost timid. "I mean, are you still hurting? Do you need to go to the hospital?"

"I've never been to a hospital and I'm not going to make a habit of it now."

Hospitals wigged her out, big time. She'd rather be limbless and riding a unicycle off the Golden Gate bridge than be stuck laying in a sterile bed for weeks, aimlessly staring at the surrounding white walls. Besides, there was no reason for her to go. Even if her injuries were severe, she would just have to toughen up. It would be onerous to make an unnecessary stop while questing.

"But, do you need to go?" he asserted again. He obviously wasn't appreciating her contumacious act. "Thalia, your health is just as important as anyone else's."

"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled. "I don't need to go to a hospital. Really. I'm fine."

"If you pass out—"

"Which I won't."

"—I won't stick around to—all right, I'll probably catch you." He flashed her a smile.

Thalia blushed, but maintained her outwardly headstrong attitude. "I don't need you to catch me if I fall."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, smirking. "The ground'll do that for me."

Even though a huge part of her wished to maintain the amusing, comfortable setting, she knew there were more important topics that needed to be discussed. She had been wondering quite a few things, her thoughts spurred on by events in the Underworld. Thalia turned to examine him. He seemed almost relaxed, which certainly surprised her. Then again, she realized, she wasn't exactly jittery either.

The daughter of Zeus felt at peace, for the first time in a long time. She had been perpetually bitter since her younger brother's supposed death. Yet, with Percy next to her, a calm sense of relief washed over her. She could rest. She could "take five," so to speak. Without letting her fears or misfortunes burden her, Thalia found herself relatively happy.

Shaking off her thoughts, she squeezed his hand to gain his attention. "The Prophecy you mentioned in the Underworld," she said. "What is it? What are the lines of it?"

"Why?" He looked suddenly defensive. He obviously didn't want her to know the lines of the Prophecy. "Why does it matter?"

"It influenced you to believe I had turned against you," she reasoned. "I think that's as good as a reason as any."

"Fine." Percy sighed, meeting her eyes bravely. He reached into his pocket and dug out a small slip of paper. It wasn't in the most sanitary condition, but it was somehow legible. The son of Poseidon passed it over to his female companion. "I wrote it down a while back," he supplied. "Just in case I somehow forgot it. I don't have the best memory."

Nodding, Thalia accepted the note. Her eyes scanned over the filthy paper. It was in English—unfortunately—so she had to struggle to decipher the messy script.

You shall go west and find the dog—wait, that read god—that has turned,

_You shall find what was stolen and see it safely returned,_

_You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend,_

_And you shall fail to save what matters most in the end._

Thalia let a soft sigh escape her. "So, I'm guessing you thought I was the second-to-last line. The friend who would betray you, right?"

"Originally," he said hesitantly. "Yeah."

"Originally? What do you mean?" she inquired. What had changed his mind? Besides her popping out of nowhere at Santa Monica, that is.

Percy visibly swallowed. Taking a deep breath, he began to trace the back of her hand with his fingertips. Thalia nearly shivered from the feeling. Butterflies restlessly raced in her stomach. "The last line…I had always thought it meant my mother. But, when Ares said you were dead—that you'd been killed by Hades—I was beginning to think it was talking about you."

Thalia didn't know what to say. It wasn't often she found herself speechless, but she all of a sudden did. Unfortunately, whenever she couldn't think of anything to say, she tended to speak whatever was on her mind at the time. Sadly, she was about to make things ten times as awkward.

"I want to kiss you."

Her words didn't fully sink into her mind until Percy glanced up at her in shock. Silently cursing herself, she bit her lip worriedly and observed any further reaction from him. Even though she had not meant to let the confession slip, Thalia had never been one to retract a truthful statement.

"What did you just say?" he asked incredulously, as if he was convinced he had misheard her.

"I said I want to…uh, start singing the blues," she mumbled pitifully. She really hated her impulsiveness at times. _I don't want to sing the blues, _she thought to herself bitterly. _Idiot. _

Percy continued to stare at her, unblinkingly. Thalia shifted uncomfortably, choosing to glance at the people across from them. An elderly couple began arguing over a bag of peanuts and eventually ripped it apart, causing the snack to pour all over the floor. When the son of Poseidon remained silent, the demigoddess cleared her throat.

"They should clean that up," she said, breaking the awkward silence. "Peanuts on the floor is never a good thing. They can, like, grow…bacteria and—and it's not good for the carpet at all. Say, what kind of carpeting do you think they—"

Suddenly, something landed against her lips, effectively shutting her up. It didn't take her long to realize that the _something _had been Percy's mouth. Not giving herself time to blush or pull away, she began to respond to the innocent kiss. It wasn't her first kiss, and hopefully not her last either, but she found herself nervous. She was slowly becoming reacquainted with the act. With Percy, it was a lot easier than it could have been.

Their lips were chapped, and Thalia was pretty sure one of the cuts on her lip opened. She was hoping he wouldn't pull away. He was clearly new to kissing, but he wasn't particularly sloppy. His kiss was tender and sweet and a million other things that made her heart all but melt beneath her breast. His lips were surprisingly soft.

The kiss was over too soon for her liking. She was almost convinced she had imagined the entire thing. Almost.

The son of Poseidon pulled away, slightly breathless. He flushed a dark crimson shade and opened his mouth repeatedly like a fish lying on grass. "I—I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Thalia wanted to argue that whatever came over him was definitely a good thing, and he should lean forward to kiss her again. However, she didn't want to come off as too pushy or clingy. Shrugging, she made a few nonsensical sounds and turned to face the window. Never letting go of his hand, she began to ponder the day's events. Two months ago, she never would've thought she'd be kissing Percy Jackson. Impossibly, they had grown close in the span of a few months.

Turning to glance at him again, she was surprised to see he was already passed out, mouth agape. Allowing herself a small smile and an eye roll, she relaxed against her seat. While she had no one to talk to, she figured she might as well try and get some rest before landing in New York.


	26. Proud and Impulsive

**A/N: Little short, yes. But I wanted to be devious and leave everyone with a cliffhanger. I would apologize for my behavior, but I'm afraid that I wouldn't mean it at all. The only thing I am sorry for it the length of the chapter. Only one or two more chapters left. I want to thank all of the reviewers and followers of this story, and I want to thank the people who have been reading it from the start.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own PJO. Fanfiction will be the first one to know if that changes.**

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When the plane landed at La Guardia, Percy glanced over at his female companion. She was still dead asleep, her face contorted in a droll look of surprise. Her mouth was slightly agape, her head tilted back against the head of the seat. She would let out little snores every now and then, or she would mumble incoherently. Although, at one point, the son of Poseidon could have sworn she said that she wanted bacon.

Being the Seaweed Brain that he was, he stupidly ordered a plate of bacon. It sat on the table in front of him, cold and untouched. He hadn't realized she was sleeping when she requested it, and now he was stuck with cold food in front of him. Acting on impulse, he hurriedly shoved the strips of bacon into his mouth and frantically chewed. He didn't want to waste anything they had paid for.

Thalia stirred slightly next to him, before her head hit his shoulder and she moved closer towards him. He froze mid-chew, looking to her sleeping form in shock. Recalling their earlier kiss, he turned crimson. He hadn't known why he leaned forward and captured her lips in a soft kiss. All he knew was that he longed to do so again.

A frightening thought coming over him, Percy paled. They were in her father's territory. The god had most likely witnessed the kiss. Why wasn't he ashes on the ground yet? Realizing he would have to meet Lord Zeus in person, he visibly gulped. On second thought, maybe he should bring Thalia with him. The God of the Sky may be less tempted to fry him.

As the flight attendants announced the landing of the plane, the son of Poseidon shook his friend awake. Thalia blinked her eyes rapidly upon opening them, observing her surroundings. She looked to Percy, her features clouded.

"We just landed in New York," he supplied. "We're about to get off."

The daughter of Zeus yawned. "Do I smell…bacon?" she inquired, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Percy shook his head. "Nope. No bacon here."

"That's weird." Thalia wrinkled her nose. "That's really weird."

It was nearly an hour before they had departed the airport and sent Annabeth and Grover on their way. The children of the Big Three piled into the backseat of a taxi and the dark-haired demigoddess provided instruction for the driver. It had only taken thirty minutes to get to the Empire State Building. Neither of the demigods said anything during the ride. Thalia was still jittery, cautiously avoiding conversation with her male counterpart. Percy watched the way her fingers twitched and she would run a hand through her hair nearly every ten seconds.

He knew he shouldn't have kissed her. He only made things even more awkward for them. Sighing, he opened the door to the cab. He turned and watched as the daughter of Zeus paid the driver a twenty. She was surely overpaying the man, but the son of Poseidon didn't voice his displeasure. He held the door open for her, and smiled when she thanked him.

"Are you ready?" she asked him, releasing an anxious breath.

"Not sure ready is the word," he replied honestly. A teenage boy passed in front of them, allowing his brown eyes to linger on Thalia's form. Percy growled low in his throat. Impulsively, he reached out and took her hand in his. Lacing their fingers together, he made a show of pulling her into the building.

Thalia laughed, a bell-like sound emitting from the cavern of her throat. "Slow down there, Sea Biscuit. Who the hell pissed in your cornflakes?"

"I hate cold weather," he lied. He couldn't believe how lame he was on occasion.

"Really?" she asked, brow arched and smirk in place. Spotting dirt all over his face, she wet the pad of her finger and began to wipe his nose. He playfully swatted her away, but she proved persistent. "We should have picked up some baby wipes," she said, frowning.

Percy laughed. "Stop fussing," he joked. "You sound like my mother."

"Shut up," she scoffed, punching him in the shoulder. He resisted the urge to wince. She hit like a professional. If he didn't know better, he would assume Mike Tyson or a family of bears had raised her. Thalia laughed suddenly, taking him off guard.

"What?" he asked defensively. "Do I have something in my teeth?"

"Your shirt," she responded, pointing. "It's in pieces."

"Yours isn't?" he countered, smiling slightly. He wouldn't complain about _her _shirt being revealing. Blushing, he silently reprimanded himself. _Pervert! _

"It was ruined before," she claimed with a roll of her eyes. "The Underworld wasn't very good to it."

"I know!" Percy said, snapping his fingers. "We'll go to my place after this. You can borrow some of my clothes."

The thought of her in his clothes caused a wave of heat to flood his cheeks, but he suppressed the urge to blush. As always, he had no doubt she would manage to look beautiful in anything she wore.

"You wouldn't mind?" she asked, eyebrows furrowed. "I'm all out of clothes," she said, pointing to the bag strung across her shoulders.

Percy shook his head. "Of course I wouldn't mind," he replied softly. Clearing his throat, he indicated the man at the front desk with a swift nod. "We should get a move on. Wouldn't want your father to blow his top."

Thalia snickered, but walked up to the desk with him. "Six hundredth floor," Percy said.

The son of Poseidon eyed the book the man was reading. It looked to be a novel about witchcraft or wizardry. He figured it must have been pretty good, because the man was hesitant to look up from the book.

"No such floor, kid."

"We need to see Zeus," Thalia commented, stepping forward and challenging the man with a raise of her brow.

Percy had never taken the time to truly admire her sense of leadership. She was always confident in everything she did, as if the only possible option was a method she had developed herself. Percy reasoned that her confident attitude made sense. Her father was Zeus, after all. Thalia was a born leader. She was meant to instruct others and step forward to save the day.

He wondered if she was anything like her famous brothers. Did she share Hercules' bravery or strength? Did she share Perseus' determined nature? From what she had told him while riding in the animal transport truck, the heroes were not responsible for all of their achievements. Was Thalia the type of hero to use the people around her selfishly and toss them away afterwards? Would she do that to him?

In a way, he was below her. How could he compare to a child of _Zeus_? Why did she want anything to do with him? Shaking his head, he fought back the negative thoughts. It would be so devastating to be in her shoes. As a daughter of Zeus, she was probably pressured to an extreme. He wouldn't like to be constantly compared to heroes like Hercules.

"Sorry?" the man asked, flashing a vacant smile.

"You heard her," Percy said.

"No appointment, no audience. Lord Zeus doesn't see just anyone unannounced," the man responded, the smile vanishing. He turned back to his novel.

The son of Poseidon turned to see Thalia scowling. Before he could ask her what she was upset about, she flattened her hand against the desk and leaned into the man's face. When he reluctantly glanced up from his book again, he appeared frustrated.

"I think he'll make an exception," she began, "for his daughter."

The man raised his eyebrows suspiciously. "His daughter passed away years—"

Before he could finish his sentence, Thalia swung the bag around to her front and pulled the master bolt from it. "Would an imposter be walking around carrying this?" she challenged. "Grant us access to the six hundredth floor."

The man scrambled out of his seat like grease hitting a hot pan, and handed Percy a key card. "Insert this into the security slot," he said helpfully. "Make sure no one else is in the elevator with you two."

Percy and Thalia stepped into the elevator. As soon as the doors shut, the son of Poseidon slid the key card into the slot. The card sank into the metal, disappearing. A strange new button appeared on the main console, a bright red one that read 600. When the son of the Sea God hesitated, the demigoddess reached out and pressed the button.

"Raindrops keep falling on my head…"

Thalia smiled at the music playing from the speakers. Percy grinned at her, realizing she liked the song. Jokingly, he began to sing along with it. She laughed at his goofy voice, but struggled to keep her face straight. He liked hearing her laugh.

_Ding! _After a few long minutes, the doors to the elevator opened. The demigods stepped out and nearly fainted from the sight. Below their feet was a narrow, floating stone walkway. In front of them, beautiful white marble steps wound up the spine of a distanced cloud.

From the top of the clouds rose the headless peak of a royal mountain, its summit masked by snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multileveled palaces. Mansions littered the different levels clad with white-columned porticos, gilded terraces, and bronze braziers glowing with the might of several fires. Roadways wound up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed in the fogged sunlight. The snow around them caused the magnificent palace to stand out even more, glowing like an enlightening mirage in the middle of the desert.

Beautiful, plentiful gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes, rivaling that of Persephone. In the distance, they could barely see an open-air market filled with colorful stands. A stone amphitheater was built on a separate side of the mountain, and a hippodrome and an ancient battle arena on the other. It resembled a restored Ancient Greece.

"It's beautiful," Thalia murmured next to him, finally letting go of his hand. He resisted the urge to frown.

He turned to face her, loving the look of amazement that lifted her features and brightened her cerulean hues. "Yeah," he agreed, smiling. "It is."

They made their way through Olympus, headed for the peak. As they passed through the gardens, Percy had to stifle his laugh when Thalia attempted to scare off the flirtatious wood nymphs. Unfortunately, they had merely turned on her and tried to flaunt themselves over her. Traumatized, she had urged him further up the path. He reached over and softly meddled with the crown of flowers in her hair, courtesy of the flirt nymphs.

As they walked through the marketplace, salespeople bombarded them. Percy noticed that his female was eyeing a certain product—frosted ambrosia on a stick—and he rolled his sea green eyes before telling her to buy a couple if she wanted. She gave him the excuse that the ambrosia would help their scars and wounds. He didn't buy the act, but he happily joined her in consuming the delicious treats.

Off in the distance, the nine muses were tuning their instruments in preparation for a park concert. "There's your namesake!" Percy said, pointing to one of them in particular.

Thalia scoffed, but followed his line of sight. There was a crowd surrounding the stage, consisting of satyrs and minor gods and goddesses. They all turned to watch as the demigods passed by, whispering among themselves. Moving forward, the children of the Big Three continued up the main road, headed for the giant palace.

"It's the opposite of the Underworld," the daughter of Zeus remarked.

Percy nodded in agreement. "There, everything had been dark and bronze. Here, everything is white and glittery."

"I'm so telling my dad you called his palace glittery," Thalia said, snickering.

Not bothering to glance around when they reached the center courtyard, they trailed up to the throne room. It was huge. It made the entire city of Manhattan look like a ladybug. It was weird to think that something bigger than the city was resting directly above it. Impressive columns rose up to a dome ceiling, littered with moving constellations.

Twelve massive thrones were arranged in an inverted U, similar to the cabins at Camp Half-Blood. Mentally noting to invite Thalia to come see the camp, he allowed his gaze to drift elsewhere. A giant raging fire, easily stomping all the other fires they had seen around Olympus, glowed in the central hearth pit. All but two of the thrones were empty. The head throne on the right was occupied, as was the throne to its immediate left.

The demigods walked towards the immortal beings. Percy could feel his knees begin to tremble. He glanced to his friend briefly, and was surprised to see that she looked slightly nervous as well. Hadn't she already seen her father in person?

Zeus, Thalia's father and Lord of the Gods, wore a nicely tailored pinstripe suit. His throne was relatively simple, constructed of solid platinum. His well-trimmed beard, riddled with black and gray, resembled a storm cloud. Although his face was obviously both handsome and proud, it was grim as well. His eyes were a shocking rainy gray. Lightning flashed in his intimidating eyes. As they neared closer, the air crackled and the smell of ozone permeated their nostrils.

The god sitting next to him was Poseidon, without a doubt. Dressed as a beachcomber in khaki Bermuda shorts and a Tommy Bahama shirt, he was the poster man for summer vacation. His skin was a deep tan and his hands were scarred. He and Percy were strikingly identical with their black hair and sea green eyes. His throne, unlike that of his brother, was decked out. It resembled a deep-sea fishing chair. His trident sat in a fishing rod holster, and the demigod resisted the urge to smile. It was all so…predictable.

Percy walked up to his father's throne, not paying attention to his friend's protest. "Father," he addressed, kneeling.

He was too nervous to chance glancing up at the immortals.

"Should you not address the master of the house first, boy?" Zeus grumbled, before his eyes flickered towards his daughter. "Thalia," he said in slight surprise. "How have you been?"

Thalia blushed. "I've been all right, father. And—and Percy didn't know. Please don't be too harsh on him."

Percy had never heard her sound so bashful before, but he was highly fond of it. She was usually blunt and straight to the point, but he liked this side of her. Deciding against looking up and offering an apology, the demigod kept his head down and waited in silence. He felt Thalia stop somewhere off to his left and bow to her father.

Zeus narrowed his eyes, eyebrows furrowing in thought. He appeared genuinely confused. "Daughter…you defend this sea spawn?"

"Peace, brother," Poseidon said, cutting off whatever the demigoddess was about to say. "The boy defers to his father. This is only right. After all, your daughter has yet to address me."

Zeus shot Thalia a look of expectance. Sighing, she turned to the sea god. Knowing her father merely wanted to prove a point, she said, "Lord Poseidon. Obliged to see you."

"Likewise," the god replied, not bothering to take his gaze off of his son.

"You still claim him, then?" Zeus asked, changing the subject. "You claim this child whom you sired against our sacred oath?"

Percy felt Thalia tense next to him. He felt slight sympathy for her. Here her father was, criticizing him for being a mistake. The daughter of Zeus was, in theory, sired as a mistake as well. How could her father be so blind and inconsiderate? How could he say such a thing in front of his own child? Did he expect it not to affect her?

"Your own daughter is in front of you, brother," Poseidon pointed out. "I have admitted to my wrongdoing. Now I would hear him speak."

The demigod finally looked up, and was surprised to see that Zeus was now shooting his daughter a rather apologetic expression. Upon being called a wrongdoing, Percy froze. A wrongdoing? That's how his father thought of him? The result of a mistake?

"I have spared him once already," Zeus muttered bitterly. "Daring to fly through my domain…pah! I should have blasted him out of the sky for his impudence."

"Father!" Thalia said in shock. "He wasn't being impudent. He did what had to be done. I was with him, too. You would've blown both of us out of the sky."

"Along with your master bolt," Poseidon added calmly.

Zeus sighed, stroking his beard. He fixed his tired gaze on the form of his daughter and frowned. "Why do you defend him so, darling? You are aware of his thievery."

"He didn't—" she began, but was cut off by the other demigod.

"Thalia," Percy said, rising to his feet. He turned to look at her, flashing a small smile. "Don't worry. I'll explain everything. If they fry me into ashes, promise me you'll sprinkle them over the Yankee Stadium."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Jackson."

"Give him a chance to speak, brother," the god of the sea said.

Zeus grumbled again. "I shall listen," he agreed. "Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus."

Swallowing, Percy looked back to the daughter of Zeus for reassurance. She smiled at him and patted him on the back. Her touch was enough to send shivers down his spine. Poseidon said, "Perseus. Look at me."

When the demigod obeyed, he found himself at a loss. His father's eyes were unreadable, like the ocean. He could tell his father didn't know what to think of him yet. Percy decided he was all right with that. After all, he didn't know if he liked Poseidon either. They had never gotten the chance to get to know each other.

"Address Lord Zeus, boy," he said. "Tell him your story."

Percy did as he was told. He told the King of the Gods everything, from leaving camp to the battle with Ares. He made sure not to mention the kiss he shared with Thalia. As amazing and delightful as it had been, he had a feeling her father wouldn't like hearing about it. At Percy's request, the daughter of Zeus pulled out the metal cylinder and watched as it sparked in the god's presence. It glowed even brighter in her hands, but it thankfully didn't burn her like it had before. She handed it to the son of Poseidon and he laid it by Zeus' feet.

The god opened his palm and the bolt flew into it, before transforming into a twelve-foot javelin of sparking energy.

"I sense the boy tells the truth," Zeus said. "But…it is unlike Ares to do such a thing."

"He is proud and impulsive," Poseidon argued. "It runs in the family."

Percy and Thalia shared a look of understanding. They reluctantly shrugged in agreement. Proud and impulsive? They could certainly relate.

"Lord?" Percy asked.

They both looked at him and said, "Yes?"

"Ares didn't act alone," the son of Poseidon said. "Someone else—something else—came up with the idea."

Zeus looked to Thalia, seeming not to value his nephew's word very much. "Daughter, is this true? Would you care to elaborate?"

"He's telling the truth, father," she said, nodding. "We've both been having dreams. I've only had a couple, but he says he's had a good number of them. While we were in the Underworld, we came across Tartarus. There was chanting echoing off the cavern walls. Something in there was stirring. We believe it was the same something that was controlling Ares. He implied that dreams plagued him as well."

"In my dreams," Percy said, "the voice kept telling me to bring the bolt to the Underworld."

Zeus smirked, an expression that greatly reminded Percy of Thalia. "You're accusing Hades after all?"

"No," the son of Poseidon said. "Lord Zeus, I've been in the presence of Hades. The feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to the pit. Something powerful and evil is stirring in Tartarus…something even older than the gods."

The immortal brothers shared a look. They began to communicate in Ancient Greek. Percy only understood one word: _Father_. Thankfully, Thalia knew a little more Greek than he did and leaned closer to him to translate.

"They're discussing the possibility of the presence being Kronos, the Titan Lord," she provided. "Your father just suggested that…that…Athena should start wearing butter spray." Wrinkling her nose in bewilderment, she frowned. "That can't be right."

Percy laughed quietly. "That all ya got?"

She shrugged. "I can't understand anything else. It's all jumbling together. I knew I should have studied when father told me to."

Zeus held his hand up angrily. "We will speak of this no more," he declared. "Now, I must personally purify this thunderbolt in waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

He rose and glanced at the son of his brother, his expression softening a bit. "You have done me a great service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much."

"I had help, sir. Annabeth Chase, Grover Underwood, and your daughter—"

"My daughter shall see my gratitude soon enough, boy. To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson, and I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live."

"Um…thank you, sir," Percy said, unsure of how to respond.

"Do not presume to enter my domain again. Do not let me find you here when I return. Otherwise, you shall taste this bolt. And it shall be your last sensation."

Thunder shook the palace. Zeus glanced to his daughter, and took a hold of her arm. "Close your eyes, darling. I must talk with you," he warned. In a blinding flash of lightning, they were gone.

Percy let out a breath of air. He hadn't wanted Thalia to leave, but he couldn't have done much to stop it. There was silence in the throne room, and the demigod peered up at his grumbling father. He didn't know what to do or say next, but Poseidon was doing enough talking for the both of them.

"Your uncle," he started, "has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would've done well as the god of theater."


	27. A Queen Among Women

**A/N: Took me forever, I know. But, I carry good news. My laptop is currently being repaired, and there is no apparent damage to the hard drive. Therefore, I should be able to post the first chapter of the Sea of Monsters the day I submit the last chapter of this story. On an even brighter side, even though the wait was long and tiresome, the chapter is even longer. So, enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Still do not own any rights to PJO. I apologize if that upsets you. **

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Thalia observed her surroundings, surprised to be in the middle of a beautiful field. Her father stood proudly next to her, cradling his master bolt like he would a child. She would have rolled her eyes if she weren't so terrified of his reaction. A fountain sat in front of them, sparkling like a million diamonds. The water was clearer than any other she had seen before, and the sunlight further enhanced its amazing appearance.

"Father," she bean timidly. "Where…where are we?"

"The Fields of Olympus. You have not heard of it before now. I have brought you here to heal over your burn. It appears to be rather onerous," he replied in the regal manner he usually did. "Here, step forward and place your hand into the Fountain of Io."

"Io?" Thalia asked, vaguely recognizing the name.

"Yes, daughter. I ask of you, do not mention the name in front of your stepmother."

The demigoddess shivered at the thought of Hera, but then remembered what she had wished to ask her father. Dipping her hand into the water, she nearly gasped at the sensation. The water bubbled around the burn, rapidly surging through her fingers. The fountain was ice cold, and chill bumps traveled the length of her arm.

"You may remove your hand now, darling," her father said, and she saw the ghost of a smile on his lips.

"Father?" she asked, pulling her hand from the water. "When I was in the Underworld, for the second time, why was Hera sent to save me?"

The thought had been bothering her upon meeting the goddess, and Thalia felt that it was about time she started getting answers.

Zeus visibly tensed, as if mentally debating something. She had the feeling he was planning to withhold the truth from her, but she couldn't find his motives unjustified. There had to be a reason for his impending vagueness, after all. He sighed tiredly, scratching at his beard.

"I had no knowledge of your recent imprisonment. Hera aimed to perform me a service in saving you, and I am unfortunately in debt to her. I predict that she will ask something rather substantial of me soon, although I cannot begin to fathom what it might be."

Thalia swallowed thickly. "You didn't know I was trapped? But, I heard you speak to me."

"Yes," he agreed, nodding. "I did communicate with you, but only once I discovered your situation. I was not watching your quest the entire time, you see. While you were in the Underworld, you were shielded from me. I was unable to view anything. It is very possible that my wife intentionally manipulated the boundaries of my brother's realm. If I had found out sooner, Thalia, I swear I would have traveled to the Underworld myself."

His daughter blushed slightly at his comment, but attempted to shrug casually. "It's no problem. I understand. I'm here now, so I guess that's all that matters."

Zeus observed her strangely; his eyes drifted the length of her form. Slipping a hand into the pocket of his dark blue dress pants, he tilted his head to the side in thought. Thalia thought he resembled a curious dog, but smartly chose not to comment. Shifting uncomfortably, she fought off the urge to shake beneath his gaze. His expression, of course, was unreadable.

She waited for him to say something—anything. She wasn't disappointed.

"Thalia," he said, his voice almost quiet. The tone he was using took her completely off guard. Her father was never shy or timid. He was sure of himself and proud beyond measure. The god knew exactly what he wanted to say and didn't consider those he would surely offend. Hearing the powerful being sound almost ashamed caused her veins to run cold.

"Yes?" she inquired reluctantly.

"I…I have never done this before," he started, his brow furrowing and his mouth twisting into an almost frustrated scowl. "But, even an immortal must eventually acknowledge his mistakes."

"What are you saying?"

Letting out a fast breath, he finished hurriedly, "I am apologizing."

The tension was thick in the air. A pin could be heard dropping a mile away. Thalia struggled to collect her thoughts in order to break the uncomfortable silence. Her father—the almighty Zeus, King of the Gods and head honcho of Olympus—was _apologizing_?

Thalia crossed her arms in front of her chest. "What do you have to be sorry for, sir?"

Zeus cracked a smile. "You know you don't have to call me sir," he said before sobering up. "While you were battling Ares, at Santa Monica, I didn't want you to put yourself in the line of such danger. And, as you know, I retrained you in the shallow water. I am sorry for snapping at you and tossing you back onto land."

"You're apologizing."

"Yes."

"You. Apologizing."

The god provided a soft chuckle. "Unusual, isn't it? Contrary to popular belief, I am not completely opposed to change. Change, in moderation, can be a good thing. And, although I have _never _apologized to anyone—with the exception of my dear wife—I was astounded at the rush of guilt that had found its way into my heart. What is a better remedy to guilt than an apology?"

"Percy could have been hurt," she said, voice almost monotonous. Her father was only apologizing to soothe his own displeasure. Gods were selfish, and Zeus was obviously no exception. "If you had waited a few seconds longer, he could have been killed."

"Oh, nonsense—"

"No!" she cried, feeling anger swell in her chest. "His life might not mean anything to you, but I care about him. He's my _friend_, Dad. Because of your stubbornness, he could have been seriously hurt."

"You could have been!" he argued. She recoiled at the amount of frustration in his voice. She had never had an actual argument with her father, and part of her was almost tempted to take everything she said back. "You would save some insignificant boy over yourself?"

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I wouldn't. He isn't insignificant."

Zeus opened his mouth as if to contradict her, but he quickly thought better of doing so and willed his lips shut. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "Why do you defend this boy?" he asked, softer.

"Like I said," she remarked. "He's my friend."

"I was only trying to keep you away from harm."

"I'm a demigod, Dad. You can't protect me from everything," Thalia reasoned. "What's with all this protectiveness, anyway? You never used to do things like this."

He scoffed. "You're right. I didn't. But, I was different with you," he admitted. "I was there for part of your childhood and…I wanted nothing more than to take you up to Olympus and raise you myself. You grew on me, daughter. When it was clear that I could spend more than the allotted time with you, I took advantage of it."

"You couldn't have done that," she said. "Taken me out of the mortal world, I mean. That's against ancient law."

He shrugged. "Technically, that is true."

Scratching the back of her neck, she met his eyes hesitantly. "I'm sorry for arguing with you. I was just angry."

Zeus smiled, a rare sight in itself. "Forgiven. That is…as long as you forgive me."

Thalia nodded, flashing a half-smile of her own. "Forgiven."

The god clapped his hands together. "All right," he announced. "It would be of utter importance to get you cleaned up. You would not want to resemble a vagrant while accompanying the sea spawn to his residence."

Her brow rose. "Did you fall and hit your head while we were arguing?"

Zeus scowled slightly, but it quickly vanished from his face. "Perseus' mother was freed by Hades. As twisted and evil as my brother can be, he typically holds true to his agreements. I am sure Poseidon is informing his son as we speak. I presume the boy will wish to see his mother again."

Thalia grinned widely. "No way. Sally is all right?"

Her father sighed. "Yes."

Relief washed through her. She had briefly considered the possibility of Gabe raising Percy, and it sent shivers down her spine. Mr. Ugliano was a disgusting shell of a man.

Zeus cleared his throat pointedly. "Now, we are going to try something now. Pay close attention to me, Thalia. Close your eyes." When the demigoddess followed his orders, dark brows furrowed, he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's about time you begin learning your _extensive _control over my domain."

Thalia nervously shifted her stance. Even though she had been recently forced to battle her fear of heights head-on, the fright continued to linger. She knew she would never truly overcome it, and that bothered her. For the sake of all things godly, she had no reason to fear her father's domain. Her irrational aversion was a weakness; a weakness she didn't favor in the least.

"Focus on the air around you," he ordered, voice strict. "Concentrate on my domain. You do not have to do anything but envision it. Are you doing so?"

Thalia nodded, not trusting her voice to speak. Her father seemed to be serious, and she didn't want to risk losing her concentration. She imagined the sky, clouds floating around Olympus, the winds rushing through the fields. It was a long moment before she noticed anything happened. A soft gust of air caressed her form, dancing around her and tousling her hair. The air was hardly tangible, brushing past the plain of her skin ever so softly. She felt a hand gripping her wrists and her eyes fluttered open on impulse.

Pride glinted in Zeus' eyes as he studied her. "You're a fast learner, are you?"

Not knowing how to respond, she merely shrugged. Pride was something she wasn't used to seeing from a parent figure. As much as she wanted to cherish the moment, she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. It was all too foreign to her.

"Why so bashful?"

At her father's question, her gaze lifted from the ground to meet his eyes. "Bashful?"

"Do not attempt to deny it, I pray you," he said, smiling slightly. "Children of mine are not often shy. They are typically rather blunt."

Thalia struggled to form words into a sentence. Picking at the largest tear in her band tee, she fidgeted beneath his look. "I…I don't know," she answered somewhat honestly. "I'm just not used to any of this."

Understanding, and choosing not to push the subject, he nodded. "I see," he replied. Finally releasing her wrist, he scowled. The expression took her off guard. What had she done to suddenly anger him? "In Sparta, you'd be a man."

Eyebrows furrowed, her jaw agape, she shook her head. "Um, excuse me?"

"Your age," he grumbled, briefly regarding her expression. "You are nearing your sixteenth year. In Sparta, a boy reached his adulthood at age fifteen."

"Dad…I—I'm not a man," she responded timidly, not understanding the conversation in the least. Was her father calling her manly? Sure, she might have been pretty athletic (what demigod wasn't?) but she never thought it was to an extreme extent.

Zeus scoffed. "I am fully aware of that," he asserted. "For mother Rhea's sake, I ought to be aware of the fact. During my visits, your mother coaxed me into changing diapers."

Thalia secretly loved hearing her father mention her mother. Even though he was the least emotional Olympian of them all, she was reminded of the fact that he previously had feelings for her corrupt mom. She supposed the idea wouldn't console anyone else, but it filled her with happier thoughts. Her mother hadn't always been used by men and cast aside as if she were mere trash. Her mother was once loved, by the King of the Gods himself.

Playing the role of teenager, she wrinkled her nose in a show of disgust. "Dad, gross. Don't mention changing my diapers. Too much information."

"You would always wiggle your butt out of them, too. It was the most frustrating thing in the world," he continued, rolling his eyes in a false show of exasperation. "I do not even wish to discuss the innumerable times you would escape from your crib—"

"Then don't discuss them," she said, sighing. Glancing around, she hoped no immortals had been spying on their conversation. Thalia surely didn't want her diaper stories getting around. It was horrible enough her father was actually carrying on a discussion about them. "What was your point about comparing me to a man?"

Zeus glowered at nothing in particular. "You shan't reach sixteen this December."

Her world stopped spinning. Swallowing thickly, she couldn't resist the urge to widen her eyes. If he was implying what she surmised he was, she might just break down and sob for the first time in her life. After saving her from a herd of monsters, providing for her, and ensuring her health, he was going to _kill her off_?

"What?" she asked reluctantly. "What do you mean I won't reach sixteen?"

Zeus' mouth hung open. If she weren't so pissed off, she would have laughed. "No," he said, shaking his head rather comically. "Good divines, no. You do not realize my conclusion. You shall not reach sixteen _this _December. Your aging is slowly returning to normal. If my deductions are infallible, you are to reach your sixteenth birthday next year."

"Uh, huh?" she questioned dumbly. He had lost her after the word 'December'. Thalia ran a hand through her hair. "I thought my aging was already fixed. You said you had it taken care of."

"It should have been," he stated. "I have not the slightest clue as to why you are not aging properly. To my word, you shall be the first to know after I discover the reasoning. I do not predict Hera will be pleased with me visiting you, but so be it. She shall never cease being bitter, so I shall never cease obtaining what I desire."

Now she could see where she had inherited her stubbornness.

Thalia sighed. "I'm going to be stuck fifteen for a while, then?"

Zeus frowned. "I am dreadfully sympathetic, darling." Looking up to the skies above, he released a quiet groan. "I fear our time is nearing its end. I must cleanse my master bolt in the—"

"I know, Dad," his daughter said, smiling. "I know."

He sighed, although it didn't sound negative. "Take care, Thalia."

"You too."

The god backed up a few steps and flashed her a tense smile. "And, daughter…do not go around kissing any more children of Poseidon."

With a wink and a snap of his fingers, he vanished.

Thalia was left behind, crimson tinting her cheeks. Her father knew about the kiss. Her father had possibly _seen _the kiss. Gulping, she shifted nervously. "Oh, brother."

Not even three seconds later, Perseus Jackson rounded the streets nearest to the field and called out to her. Turning around the catch sight of him, she was surprised to see him running towards her. A wide grin lit up his features and he unexpectedly embraced her. Thalia unsurely wrapped her arms around him, chuckling at his display of happiness. When he pulled away, his face was flushed from running and he was panting.

"Thalia!" he exclaimed. "We did it. We made it out alive!"

"You're just now noticing that?" she asked, raising a brow. "_Really_?"

"Don't be such a rotten egg," he joked, shouldering her. "How did the talk with your father go? Is everything all right?"

He sounded genuinely concerned.

Thalia smiled. "It went good," she said. "As good as talks with a powerful immortal can go, at least. And, everything is fine," she lied. "Don't worry. How did the talk with your dad go?"

Percy flashed a half-smile, shrugging. "It could have gone worse, I suppose. Don't honestly want to say much else about it. Oh, I did find out my mother is all right," he said, showing a full-wattage grin. "I can't wait to see her."

A thought occurring to her, she frowned. "What about Camp Half-Blood? Is it required that you have to check in with them first?"

Percy waved a hand dismissively. "I won't tell if you don't," he said, smiling.

"Deal."

As they made their way through the city of the Gods again, they noticed a slight change. Instead of whispering amongst themselves, the town inhabitants openly applauded them and some even dared to approach them. They were met with pats on the back and thumbs-ups from several "chill" immortal beings. It wasn't until a tall, broad man stopped them that Thalia felt a slight twinge in her stomach.

The brown-haired man, with strangely familiar stormy gray eyes, stood in front of them. Dressed in a royal chiton and wielding a club, he wore a proud expression. Although his gaze was slightly downcast, and his face soon lowered upon seeing the daughter of Zeus, he was clearly handsome. Heaving a great sigh, he outstretched a hand to shake Thalia's.

When she obliged, the man cleared his throat pointedly. "I suppose I should offer you a congratulations. At least one of us could please father, eh?"

Without saying another word, he walked away and disappeared into fog. Percy was left staring in awe. "Was that who I think it was?"

"Depends. Who do you think it was?" she asked. Thalia honestly had no clue as to who he could have been. The only thing she knew for sure was that he was her half-brother, in some way.

"Hercules. As in _the_ Hercules."

Thalia stared at him. "No."

"Yeah."

"No way. That couldn't have been him."

"Why not?" he challenged.

"Well…he…I—man, I don't know! It just wasn't!"

"Denial," Percy sang, before whistling through his teeth.

Thalia couldn't help but laugh. "Shut up, dork."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking the streets of Manhattan, lost looks on their faces. They didn't know where to go after visiting the Jackson residence. Percy was, of course, going back to camp. But Thalia…well, she didn't want to say goodbye. She knew she couldn't attend camp, though. If she were meant to be there, her life wouldn't have been in danger all those years ago. The daughter of Zeus had always been more of a loner, anyway. She would just feel uncomfortable around the other campers.

The demigods piled into a cab, and Percy gave the driver directions to his mother's apartment. It didn't take very long to arrive. The two dark-haired heroes stood at the door, and the son of Poseidon reached out tentatively to ring the doorbell. Within moments, the door flung open to reveal a slightly disheveled Sally Jackson.

"Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby."

Thalia laughed as the woman quickly embraced her son, nearly squeezing his lungs into his throat. Tears ran down his mother's face as she ran her hands through his wild hair and told him how much she missed him.

Unable to help her attention span, the daughter of Zeus permitted her mind to wander. If her mother were still alive, would she greet her the very same? Did she miss her at all? Feeling tears well up in her eyes, she hurriedly scrubbed at them with the hem of her ruined shirt. There was no use dwelling on it now. Her mother was dead. Jason was lost. Her life was gone.

Something Hades had said in the Underworld still continued to bother Thalia. _You won't find them. Not here, anyway. I imagine your father would like to tell you otherwise. _She knew he had been referring to Jason and their mother. But, what in the world had he meant? Why wouldn't she find them in the Underworld? It didn't make any sense. Jason had vanished when she was too young to venture out and search for him, and her mother had died nearly a year ago.

Thalia recalled when her father had informed her. It had been a chilly night in Brooklyn, as most nights typically were, and she had been lounging on her bed. Because he had to make dramatic entrances, he somehow materialized in front of her and scared the living daylights out of her. After recovering from her shock, she listened to Zeus as he explained her mother's passing. It had been a car wreck. She didn't have to ask to know that her mother had been drinking.

"I just appeared in the apartment this morning," Sally said, laughing in excitement. "I about scared your stepfather out of his pants."

"Let's pray not," Thalia added, flashing a weak grin. The thoughts about her family had really put her in a bad mood.

Sally noticed her for the first time. Before she realized what was happening, the woman was hugging her fiercely. What was with the Jackson's and hugging? The smell of peppermint and licorice filled her nostrils and she slowly began to hug the woman back. Sally soon pulled back with a smile.

"I'm glad to see you well, Char—Thalia, I mean."

The daughter of Zeus laughed. "Call me whatever flows easier, Ms. Jackson."

"Sally," the older woman corrected. "Bless the gods, I thought I'd never see the two of you again. Come in, come in! You must be starving."

Thalia's ears perked up. "Food?"

Sally laughed, ruffling the demigod's hair. "Yes, food."

Percy turned to smile at her, gesturing for her to enter the apartment before him. With a smile, she stepped through the threshold. Sally addressed them both, "Now, Gabe isn't in a very good mood. He received several calls today from people in Los Angeles…something about free appliances."

The son of Poseidon stifled his laugher. He leaned over to his female counterpart and whispered, "Oops."

Thalia laughed aloud, not caring if she caught his mother's suspicious attention. The woman smiled warmly at the two of them, tightening her ponytail. "You're telling me the entire story after dinner is ready."

The teens nodded, following Percy's mother into the living room. Even before they entered, they could hear the obnoxious burps of Gabe.

"Hey, Sally! That meatloaf done yet or what?"

Thalia cringed upon entering the supposed "family" room. Trash littered the floor, almost completely masking the stained carpet. Beer cans were strewn about the furniture. Dirty, old underwear hung from the curtains, windowsills and lampshades. The daughter of Zeus hadn't thought it possible to live in a house so riddled with filth. As expected, Percy's dreadfully repulsive stepfather was playing poker with his buddies, huddled around a small table.

Her mother's boyfriends might have been jobless and misogynistic pigs, but she didn't remember them ever being _that _disgusting.

When Gabe caught sight of his stepson, the cigar dropped from his mouth. His face grew impossibly red with anger. "You got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police—"

"He's not a fugitive after all," his kind mother interjected. "Isn't that wonderful, Gabe?"

Thalia felt Percy tense next to her and she refrained from reaching out and grabbing his hand. As the man looked back in forth between mother and son, the daughter of Zeus clenched her fists defiantly. She didn't like the look on Gabe's face. Every fiber of her stubborn being urged her to knock his greasy head from his shoulders.

"Bad enough I had to give back your insurance money, Sally," the man growled.

Thalia closed her eyes tightly. Her mind swam with images of her mother, drunk and stumbling through the house.

"Get me the phone. I'm going to call the cops. They'll be sure to take care of that punk, and his little girlfriend," he spat, eyeing Thalia in distaste.

_Her mother's blonde hair in a mess, obviously bleached, and her knees seconds away from buckling beneath her slim form. _

"Gabe, no!"

"Did you just say _no_?" Gabe asked, raising his furry brows. He had more hair on his face and stomach than he did his head. "You think I'm gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges for him ruining my Camaro."

_Her mother's boyfriend, Anthony, reaching out and smacking the blonde when she dared to back talk him. _

"But—"

Gabe raised a hand, and Thalia watched in trepidation as the woman flinched as if scorched. The man had hit Sally before. _Her _mother had been hit before. Gritting her teeth and turning to glance at Percy, she felt even more anger swell in her chest. Percy suddenly came towards his abusive stepfather, removing Riptide from his pocket.

Of course, the jerk merely laughed. "What, punk? You gonna write me an angry letter? You touch me _kid_, and you're going to jail forever. Understand?"

"Hey, Gabe," one of his friends called out. "He's just a kid."

The man turned around to face his companions. In a high-pitched voice, he mocked, "_Just a kid._"

"_Mom!" young Thalia had yelled, running to her mother's aid. The child attempted to assist her mother and standing, but the older woman merely shouldered her away._

_The blonde picked herself off the floor, wiping the blood from beneath her bottom lip. "What, kiddo?"_

_Thalia had turned on Anthony then, pointing an accusatory finger at him and all but spitting in his face. "Get the hell away from her."_

"_Listen, brat—"_

"_Get the hell away from my mom!" she had shrieked, causing lightning to streak across the now stormy night sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance, and she resisted the urge to mock the man when he tensed in surprise._

_Without another word being said, the man smartly walked out of the house. She had then faced her mother, eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. She may have been only eight years old at the time, but even at her young age she couldn't help but stand up for her weak-hearted mother. _

"_Mom…why?"_

_The once beautiful woman had then lifted her gaze from the ground and fixed the coldest glare she could muster on her young daughter. "You're just a kid. You wouldn't understand." Shaking her head, she scoffed bitterly. "You're just a stupid kid."_

Thalia bravely—or stupidly—stepped forward, crossing her arms over her chest. She couldn't help it. It was her natural instinct to protect the ones she loved, and that included Percy Jackson and his mother. "You're more of a kid than he is, you selfish fucking asshole."

"Thalia!" Sally admonished, attempting to pull the taller female back.

The daughter of Zeus held a strong, immutable stance.

Gabe snickered, eyeing her in a way that made her nearly cringe. But, he was clearly proposing a challenge, and Thalia Grace had never been one to turn a competition down.

When the son of Poseidon reached out and grabbed her hand, she didn't make a move to turn and face him. "Thalia," he whispered, sounding nearly anxious. "Please. Step away."

Even though it was against everything she had ever stood for in her life, she reluctantly returned to her place next to him, but not once did she take her eyes off the disgusting pig before them.

"That's right, woman," a man from the table remarked snidely. "Get back in your place."

Gabe and his friends laughed cruelly.

Percy clenched his jaw, appearing as if he was three seconds away from ripping his stepfather's head off. "Don't talk to her that way," he threatened quietly.

"Excuse me, punk?" the sexist man from the table called again. "I don't think I heard you right."

"I said, _don't talk to her that way_!" Percy yelled furiously.

"Pipe down, you piece of shit," Gabe sneered. "I'll give you five minutes to collect all your junk and clear out. Take your annoyingly difficult girlfriend with you. After that, I'm callin' the police."

"How generous of you," Percy remarked sarcastically.

"Gabe!" Sally cried.

"He ran away," Ugliano asserted. "Let him stay gone."

Percy's mother grabbed onto both of their arms and pulled them into her son's room. "Please, kids. Just come with me," she had practically begged.

Both of the demigods' hands were all but trembling in rage, their faces as ripe as pomegranates. They were too alike for their own good; both had extremely short tempers and often thought similarly on issues. It was only predictable that they were both currently fighting off the urge to strut back into the living room and rip Gabe a new one.

As usual, his room was filled with his stepfather's stuff.

"Gabe is just upset, honey," Sally reasoned to no avail. "I'll talk to him later. I'm sure we'll work it out."

"Upset?" Thalia asked in angered disbelief. "Sally, the man is a fucking abusive pig. Get real." She saw the woman's crestfallen expression, but she was too far-gone to feel pity. "You'll talk to him and make things better? What does that translate to? You'll let him take his anger out on you and toss you around like a worthless rag doll?"

"Thalia's right," Percy said, his glare and expression steely. "Nothing will ever work out. Not when Gabe is here."

Sally wrung her hands nervously, glancing to the teens. "I can…take you to work every day this summer. In the fall, maybe there's a boarding school—"

"Mom."

The woman lowered her eyes. "I'm trying, Percy, Thalia. I really am. I just…I need some time."

Thalia was about to apologize for her rash behavior—she had no right to intrude on a family matter, after all—when a flash of brown caught her eye. Turning her gaze to the bed, she spotted a package that she could have sworn hadn't been there previously. Recognizing her friend's script on the battered box, she tugged on his sleeve.

"Um, Jackson?" she called. "You might want to see this."

The son of Poseidon stopped talking to his mother and nearly froze when he saw the box. Serious, he turned to face Sally again. "Mom, do you want Gabe gone?"

Suddenly, it hit Thalia. Percy had said something about mailing the head of Medusa to the gods. Squinting her eyes and looking to reassure her suspicions, she deciphered the freshly written, fine black print.

**RETURN TO SENDER.**

Percy wanted to turn Gabe into a statue. A wild grin stretching onto her lips, and she laughed internally. Now that was something she would pay great money to see.

"I—It isn't that simple, Percy—"

"Mom, just tell me. That asshole has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?"

Sally, instead of reprimanding him for cursing, sighed in defeat. After contemplating for a short while, she nodded surely. "Yes, Percy, I do. And I'm trying to muster up my courage to tell him. But you can't do this for me. You can't solve my problems."

Percy glanced at the box, meeting Thalia's eyes before doing so. Understanding, she cautiously lifted to box and surrendered it over to his hands. "I can do it," he announced suddenly, decided. "One look inside this box, and he'll never bother you again."

She glanced at the package, and her eyes widened in understanding. "No, Percy," she said, stepping away. "You can't."

"Poseidon called you a queen," Percy said. "He said he hadn't met a woman like you in a thousand years."

Thalia smiled. Poseidon had actually cared for Sally.

The woman blushed. "Percy…"

"You deserve better than this, Mom. You don't have to protect me anymore by staying with Gabe," he reasoned. "Let me get rid of him."

Sally wiped a tear from her cheek. "You sound so much like your father," she said, sniffling. "He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea. He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand."

"What's wrong with that?"

Thalia rolled her eyes. Percy was obviously caring and in support of mending his mother's problems. It was sweet, she had to admit. A very girly part of her—miniscule, mind you—wondered if he would go to extremes for her.

"If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself," Sally said, meeting her sons eyes. "I can't let a god take care of me…or my son. I have to find the courage on my own. Your quest has reminded me of that."

"I'll leave the box," Percy said. "If he so much as threatens you…"

He let the threat hang, but both girls in the room could easily tell how serious he was. His mother paled slightly, but she nodded. "Where will you two go?"

"Well, I'm going to Half-Blood Hill," Percy said. He looked to Thalia. "A-and, I would like it…a lot…if you would come with me?"

Thalia realized she had a very important decision to make. She could accompany Percy, spend some more time with him and possibly even give their friendship a chance to evolve into something greater, or…she could go back home to Brooklyn and spend the rest of the summer alone.

Being alone had never truly bothered her. She had always thought it was better to be alone in a world full of strangers than in a house full of people who claimed to care for you. All her life, she had learned not to depend on another person. Even though she missed people from time to time, she never let that render her incapable of anything.

Yet, she felt a strange longing to join Percy. She not only wanted their friendship to advance—she felt like she _needed _it to. She had their future in the palms of her hands, as cliché as the situation was. It was all a matter of what she chose to do now.


	28. The Start of Something New

**A/N: I apologize for the late update. Unexpectedly, my laptop is requiring more time until it is repaired. Until then, I am working on the last chapter of this story and I am almost finished with the next chapter of Kings of Olympus. ****This is the next to last chapter, and it felt like more of a filler to me. I'm just attempting to wrap the story up, I suppose. **

**Also, I have written most of a Perlia oneshot, but I do not know if I plan to upload it. It has the potential to turn into more, but I do not wish to juggle three stories at once. I may have to put the Kings of Olympus on hold if I choose to go with the other one. Any thoughts on it? Please feel free to review and let me know.**

**I hope you all enjoy, and reviews are welcome. **

**Warning: Contains slightly mature material, namely alcohol consumption.**

**Disclaimer: All the rights to PJO go to Rick Riordan.**

* * *

Thalia stood in front of her bathroom mirror, feeling frustrated with herself. She couldn't believe she had turned Percy down on his offer. He wanted her to return to camp with him. He wanted her to attend during the summer. She had turned him down.

Resisting the urge to punch a hole through the wall of her apartment, she climbed into the shower, shivering as the nearly searing water raced onto her skin. Stupid—that's what she was. Stupid, stupid, stupid, _stupid_. Why in the world had she said no? The daughter of Zeus shook her head, lathering her hair in obsessive amounts of shampoo. She knew why she had rejected his proposal.

Thalia didn't belong at camp. She felt so out of place. She was no longer familiar with Grover, or Annabeth, or Luke. They had moved on without her. For the past five years she had been stuck in the same predicament; frozen, as everyone in her life rushed in front of her. Annabeth wasn't the same girl she remembered. Luke, even though she hadn't been fortunate enough to meet him again, definitely aged. He was in his twenties.

After releasing an exhausted breath of air, she finished showering. Once she walked back into her bedroom, she raided her closet for anything clean. Because she had been gone quite a while, she never got around to doing her laundry.

Shrugging guiltily to herself, she pulled out a faded Ramones shirt. It was several sizes too big for her, but she had nothing else to wear until she washed her dirty clothes. She pulled a pair of boxers from her dresser and slipped them on.

Thalia didn't know how she felt about the news her father told her. She wouldn't turn sixteen this year. On one hand, it was good. On the other, it was inconvenient. If she didn't age sixteen soon, the prophecy would be prolonged as well; however, she didn't know when her aging would balance itself back out, nor did she know why it was still slow in the first place.

Her mind eventually floated to Percy Jackson, something it had been fond of doing lately. The son of Poseidon was everything she could ever ask for in a friend. He was loyal, compassionate…dare she say cute. Yet, she felt as if she were intruding in his life. The only reason they had met was due to the fact that she was ordered to monitor him and recover her father's master bolt. If it weren't for the incident at the Winter Solstice, they might have never encountered one another.

Gods, she missed Percy. _She _missed _him_. She had never been dependent on anyone—and she still wasn't—but she fought the urge to travel to camp to see him. They hadn't ended on hopeful terms. She had turned down his offer, he had dejectedly wished her goodbye, and she had grabbed a cab into Brooklyn.

She had a crush on him. She wanted to date him. She wanted to rush out of her apartment, track him down, and kiss him until they were both out of breath. But she was a coward. Thalia was afraid of rejection and afraid of heartbreak. She had battled dozens of monsters in her life, and she feared _heartbreak_, of all things. Part of her was angry with herself. Thalia was behaving and thinking like her mother and that frightened her above everything.

Witnessing her mother heartbroken over and over again had taken an unfortunate toll on her mind. The daughter of Zeus had always preferred to be alone. She didn't depend on anyone or anything to get her what she needed. She took care of herself, and others occasionally. She didn't need anyone else. Sure, she was typically lonesome. But, as her mother had always claimed, it was better to be lonely amongst strangers than within your group of loved ones.

Percy Jackson wasn't just anyone.

Thalia sighed, running a hand through her wet locks. Walking into her living room and taking a seat on the leather couch, she grabbed the remote from the coffee table. She was never one for television, but she had to find some other way to occupy her mind. If she didn't stop thinking of the son of Poseidon, she was sure to go insane.

The daughter of Zeus took a deep breath, considering her options. There was only one way she knew of to rid her mind of upsetting thoughts. Giving up on trying to clear her mind on her own, she headed into her kitchen and reached into the highest cupboard. The bottle she pulled from it sent a rush of memories into her brain but she quickly suppressed them. There was no use thinking of her mother any longer. It would only get her more upset.

After pouring herself a shot, she walked back to the couch and flipped on some random sitcom. She took a steady sip from the thick shot glass, relishing in the soothing burn traveling down her throat. She hadn't drunk alcohol in years, but the urge had never once left her. And neither had her taste for it. Snorting at the thought of her previous drinking experiences, she shook her head. She used to drink all the time when she lived with her mother. Monkey see, monkey do.

Thalia was like her mother, and she hated it. Once she thought everything in her life was going swimmingly, she would suddenly fuck it up and resort to the same-old degrading habits. She was weak and always went back to the same damn things. The brunette bitterly shook her head at herself, indulging in another sip of the soul-sickening substance.

As her drinking usually went, she wounded up having a lot more than she intended. Fortunately for her, due to her godly blood, she was merely buzzed. She was just beginning to feel completely relaxed when she heard a shrill call from behind her.

"Thalia!"

Upon hearing her name being shouted, the daughter of Zeus whipped her head around to see the worried face of Annabeth. Standing quickly, and knocking her glass over in the process, Thalia completely faced the other girl's profile. Mist surrounded the image, and she realized that the girl was Iris-messaging her.

"Annabeth," she greeted in surprise. "What's going on? Wait…how did you find out where I live?"

"That's not important," the daughter of Athena snapped. "Percy's hurt."

Thalia suddenly felt sick. She sat down on the edge of the couch and lowered her gaze to the floor. There was no way she heard the girl correctly. "What?" she asked.

"Percy," the blonde repeated again, slowly, "is hurt."

"What happened?" the daughter of Zeus asked. "What hurt him? Did he make it back to camp all right?"

Annabeth clenched her jaw angrily. "Oh, he made it to camp all right. It's what happened at camp. He's in the infirmary now."

"Annie," the taller girl asserted, finding it in herself to stand up again. "What happened to him? What happened at camp?"

The daughter of Athena was shaking and red in the face, but she mustered up the composure to answer. "Luke…" she started. "Luke tried to kill Percy."

* * *

The ride to camp was relatively long, but Thalia found that it was worth every minute. She had to see the son of Poseidon. The only benefit of the long journey was that it gave her a chance to ponder over things.

More importantly, Luke.

Luke Castellan—the same guy who stuck by her side and fought with her through thick and thin—tried to kill the boy she had come to have a crush on. Thalia was certainly angry, that was for sure. Sad. Disappointed. But, mostly, she was in utter disbelief. The Luke she knew wouldn't do anything like that! Admittedly, he was a son of Hermes. Of course he would steal and break into locked off buildings, and whatnot. But, kill someone? No. Luke would never.

Annabeth hadn't told her much via IM, but Thalia was determined to get some information out of her when she later encountered the blonde. She sighed sadly, realizing just how hard the betrayal would hurt the daughter of Athena. The brunette demigoddess had always put her undying trust in Luke, but Annabeth had a sort of undeniable pull towards him. If the daughter of Zeus weren't so reluctant to the thought, she would have bet her money that the blonde loved the son of Hermes.

How could he have done such a thing? Despite her better judgment, she just _couldn't _stop thinking about it. It wasn't like him, not at all. Thalia felt that if Luke would even dare to do something so insanely extreme, there was surely a complicated reason. Even if she hadn't been around for years, she knew the son of Hermes even better than he knew himself. She had always been good at reading people, and he had trusted her with everything—with exception of some of the details of his past.

One thing she had learned in particular was that he was definitely the furthest definition of a stereotypical guy. While she had always been relatively direct and blunt, he had been almost the complete opposite. Every word that exited his mouth contained double-meanings. However, they had flowed together like sugar and water. If she said she hadn't thought about the two of them being a couple, she would be lying. Still, it had been years. And, obviously, he had certainly changed a lot.

Thalia wasn't like Annabeth. The blonde demigoddess would most likely seek Luke out and beg for him to repent or whatever. The daughter of Zeus rarely did second chances. If it turned out that Luke was a traitor—whatever the complex reason—she no longer wanted anything to do with him. Of course, she would never forget him nor would she stop appreciating everything he had ever done for her. But, after being hurt time and time again by people in the past, the brunette was no longer naïve.

If Percy didn't make it out alive, she didn't know what she'd do.

After her earlier incident with alcohol (honestly, she swore the bottle just leaped into her hands), she decided that she would stop being such a coward and tell Percy how she felt…as soon as she figured out exactly _how _she felt, that is. Wringing her hands on her lap, she instructed the driver to pull over.

"You sure, ma'am?" he asked. "This is the middle of goddamn nowhere!"

Thalia nodded, sure. "Yeah," she said. She handed him a crumbled twenty before opening the door to the cab and stepping out. "Keep the change."

Breathing deeply, she traveled up the seemingly endless hill. She tried to fight off the thoughts of the past that were haunting her. The hill—the exact place where she had nearly died years before—mocked her with its ill boding aura. Wind tousled her hair slowly, and she swore that if the situation were any more dramatic she would be acting in a supernatural romance film.

When Thalia reached the top of the hill, next to her "designated" pine tree, she was surprised to see a beautiful raven-haired girl sitting cross-legged in the grass. She cleared her throat, to alert to shorter girl of her presence. The brunette on the ground looked up, startled, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion at the sight of the punk.

"Hello there," the girl greeted before the daughter of Zeus could say anything. The teen smiled slightly, standing up. She smoothed out the fabric of her pretty sundress. "You must be Thalia."

Thalia glanced at the other girl nervously. "Uh…yes?"

The girl laughed. "Don't be so hesitant. Annabeth sent me out here to greet you when you arrived. She didn't want to leave Percy unattended in the infirmary."

The daughter of Zeus nodded. "Oh," she said softly.

"I'm Silena," the girl said, extending her hand. "Silena Beaugard."

Thalia shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You have an iron grip," Silena joked, although she flexed the fingers of her hand. Had Thalia mistakenly shook her hand too roughly? "Follow me," she said, spinning around on her heel and starting towards the camp.

Not bothering to check out the scenery, the daughter of Zeus kept her gaze low, her eyes following the trail of the other girl's shoeprints. They eventually made it to the Big House—as Silena introduced—and from there, the beautiful teen led them into a sterile, almost hospital-like room. Thalia would have to say it was the infirmary. What other places would look like a hospital?

Lying in the bed to the far back of the room was the slumbering form of the son of Poseidon. Thalia swallowed nervously, slowly edging her way across the room. Silena said a quiet goodbye, before backing out of the room. The daughter of Zeus managed to stop her stroll just behind Annabeth. She had been sure that she was nearly completely silent, but the blonde girl somehow sensed her there.

"No one saw it coming," the daughter of Athena said, her voice quavering slightly.

Thalia sighed heavily, taking a seat in a bedside chair. "I don't think anyone could have seen it coming, Annie."

"It isn't like him."

"I know, I know."

The two girls let the conversation die down, neither really feeling up to discussing the son of Hermes. Looking over at Percy in concern, Thalia felt her brow furrow. He was pale, insanely so, and his face was lined in pain. Softly, she reached out and brushed her fingertips across his cheek in attempt to soothe the ache he was sure to be experiencing.

"How long has he been out?" she asked, not removing her gaze.

Annabeth shrugged, brushing the question off. The daughter of Zeus was beginning to bring the subject up again, when the blonde started sniffling. Thalia refused to look over at the other girl, knowing that if she were crying she wouldn't wish anyone else to witness it. Sometimes, the brunette was convinced that the daughter of Athena was even stronger than she was. Sometimes. There was still Zeus' arrogance, after all.

"He was never the same after that stupid quest," the daughter of Athena grumbled, surprising the taller girl.

"Percy?"

"Luke," the blonde corrected, almost irritably. "His father sent him on a quest to retrieve a golden apple from the Garden of the Hespirides. When he came back, though…he wasn't himself. He was bitterer, cold. He distanced himself from the rest of the camp. He didn't even talk to me. It was like he was a whole other person."

Thalia frowned, fiddling with her hands. "I wouldn't know."

"You used to," Annabeth murmured. "I used to."

The daughter of Zeus sighed shakily. "People change, I guess. You can't trust anyone. Sometimes not even yourself."

The blonde's attention snapped to the older girl. "No," she replied in frustration. "I could trust Luke. We could trust him. Something is wrong with him. He—he must be under Kronos' control!"

Thalia's brow furrowed. "Kronos?"

The daughter of Athena nodded weakly. The dark-haired girl wondered back to the earlier events. The gods—hadn't they mentioned something about the Titan Lord? Was he really rising? Reality hit her like an anticipated freight train. Luke was serving a dismembered, banished Titan. The son of Hermes was trying to overthrow Olympus. Try as she might, she just couldn't wrap her mind around the idea.

Decided against contradicting any of the blonde's statements, Thalia settled with a slow nod.

"Yeah," the brunette mumbled. "He's being controlled. That must be it."

Annabeth glanced over, the area around her eyes red. "You don't believe that any more than I do." Before anything else could be said between the two of them, she stood up from her chair. "I'll leave you two alone. If he wakes up, there's a glass of nectar next to the bed."

Thalia nodded, although she didn't really want to see the other girl go.

"And, Thalia?"

"Yeah?"

"Chiron is probably going to want to talk to you after you're done in here. Just head into the Big House," Annabeth said, before turning around and exiting.

Thalia looked away from the closed door, focusing her attention on the sleeping boy. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and she leaned forward to wipe it away with a corner of his bed sheet. He groaned quietly, causing her to jump in her seat. Recovering from the surprise, she trailed her hand further down to seek his, intertwining their fingers. His hand was searing hot, and resisted the urge to pull away.

The daughter of Zeus was determined to reveal her feelings, and that was precisely what she was going to do. She had waited long enough.

Her eyes flickered to the clock on the opposite wall, its slowed hands damn near taunting her with their pace. Couldn't she wait before sprinting headfirst into this? After all, he was still recovering. And…why would he want to be with her anyway? She was an unapproachable girl. She really should have foreseen this damn indecision. Thalia's lip curled in aggravation. She wasn't used to anyone having this sort of effect on her. Few people managed to make her feel unsure of herself. Yet, Percy Jackson seemed to do a good job of it.

"Thalia?" a voice croaked. "Is that you?"

Her head spun around to meet his clouded gaze. A stupidly wide smile spread across her lips, and she nodded far too eagerly. "Yeah, it's me."

"What happened to going back home? Just couldn't stay away, could you?" he asked in amusement, his eyes dancing with merriment. He was clearly overjoyed to see her there.

"You know it, handsome," she joked along, smiling.

Percy attempted to laugh, but then he was thrown into a coughing fit. What had Luke done to him to make him appear so sickly? Forgetting her previous insecurities, she leaned closer to him and helped him sit up straight, rubbing his back soothingly as he coughed. At the feel of her hand on his back, his eyes drifted to hers and some sort of silent decision passed between the two of them.

Thalia leaned in, lips hovering above his. A hand pressing against her collarbone halted her abruptly. She blinked owlishly, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Had he just _stopped _her from kissing him?

The son of Poseidon blushed, noting the disbelief on her features. "Don't kiss me," he mumbled, embarrassed. "I just finished coughing. If I'm sick with something, I don't want you to catch it. They aren't even sure that they've gotten the poison out—"

Catching him during his rant, she pressed her lips against his and maneuvered them ever so softly. Thalia had already kissed a fair amount of people, but she had found that it was quite difficult with Percy. He made her nervous—something very little people managed to do.

It took him a while, but he eventually responded, welcoming her kiss and parting his lips. Deciding against slipping her tongue in his mouth—she felt it would be moving far too fast, even though she wanted to—she pulled away from the kiss, incidentally running her tongue across his lips in the process.

_Incidentally. Right._

Percy breathed hard, and she realized that she might have been kissing him out of breath. Mentally reprimanding herself, she decided that she shouldn't have been so eager. He hadn't healed completely.

"Sorry," she mumbled, a little breathless herself. Her face continued to linger above his, close enough to feel his warm breath fan across her face. It smelled of chocolate cookies, and she allowed herself a grin. "How are you feeling?"

"Me?" he asked, gesturing to himself. He flashed her a half-smile. "Well, I suppose I _was _doing all right. Then, you kissed me and now I'm doing amazing."

She blushed, but didn't look away. "Hush."

Percy didn't stop smiling at her. "What made you want to do that? Not that I'm opposed to it, of course. Actually, I liked it. Loved it, even."

What _couldn't _make her want to do that?

Thalia released a nervous sigh, pulling away from him slightly to better meet his gaze. "Percy, I have to tell you something."

_Here goes nothing, _she thought.

Percy's eyes clouded with worry. He attempted to straighten his back, as he was in a hunched over position. Something seemed to have caught his attention, and he glanced down to his side. He dangled their intertwined hands, a smile on his face. His worry appeared to wash away, and he looked to her with something akin to admiration.

"What is it, Thalia?" he asked, trying in vain not to smile in excitement.

"I…I…"

"Yes?"

The daughter of Zeus scratched the back of her neck—a nervous habit. "You want to maybe…uh, go out to eat with me sometime?"

The son of Poseidon grinned at the girl's discomfort. "Thalia, daughter of the all mighty Zeus, are you asking me out on a date?"

Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"You idiot."

Percy laughed, although it caused him to cough again. "Damn," he said, shaking his head. "That poison has really taken its toll."

She glanced away from him, and made to turn around completely until she felt a soft hand grip her forearm. Thalia raised her eyebrow in inquiry, looking back at him to see his face in an expression of content.

"I would love to grab a bite to eat with you, Thalia," Percy replied to her earlier proposal, a wicked glint in his beautiful sea green eyes. "You name the place."

The daughter of Zeus blushed, but couldn't restrain the brilliant grin that lit up her face. "You're not well," she reminded. "I think it's safest that we wait."

Percy shrugged. "I guess you're right." He sighed. "You'll have to excuse my impatience. I've waited for this a while, you see."

Thalia turned her gaze to the sterile sheets. "I like you. A lot."

"I like you, too," the suddenly red son of Poseidon responded quietly. "A lot."

"I mean, sure. Sometimes you can be _super _annoying—"

"Thalia!"

The daughter of Zeus erupted into laughter, and her soon-to-be date followed soon after. Before either of them could say another word, someone else made their presence known.

"Thalia," a male spoke. "I've heard of your…return."

The dark haired demigoddess spun around to face the newcomer. A brown-haired man with a scraggly beard stood ten feet from her, and the bottom half of his body…the bottom half—

"I am Chiron," the centaur introduced, smiling. His eyes caught sight of their hands, and he raised an eyebrow. The daughter of Zeus flushed, but she was relieved that he didn't choose to comment on the display. "You may know me as Mr. Brunner."

Thalia smiled in slight disbelief. "Nice to meet you…again."

"I must say, I am excited to see that the daughter of Zeus is still alive and well. I pray you will not influence me to change my mind," Chiron replied. "Young Perseus and my dear Annabeth have filled me in on a few things, and although it was breaking the ancient law, I can see why your father chose to do as he did."

The demigoddess nodded. "I could not be more thankful."

The centaur flashed a smile. "Ah, yes," he said. "Well, although I hate to ruin the fun you seem to be having, Dionysus and I would like to have a discussion with you in private whenever you get the chance. And, if you wouldn't mind, Percy needs more nectar in order to heal."

"No problem, Bruno."

After the centaur exited the infirmary, the daughter of Zeus spun back around to face Percy. "Care for some…uh, nectar?" she asked, frowning at the way her question sounded. He wasn't a freaking bumblebee.

"If nectar is codeword for kissing, then yes," the son of Poseidon stated boldly, although his cheeks burned a fire engine red. "I just realized how lame that was. Excuse that comment. Yes, I would like some nectar."

Thalia threw back her head and laughed joyfully. She hadn't laughed that freely in a while, but something about this entire situation was just so hilarious. Percy smiled at her display of happiness, and cleared his throat pointedly. She looked to him curiously.

"Ask adorable as I find your laughter," he began slowly, smirking when the girl blushed and turned her gaze to the window, "I wasn't kidding about needing some nectar."

Thalia smiled. "My bad," she apologized, grabbing the warm glass from the table and releasing his hand in the process. She raised a dark brow. That was weird. There were nearly ten ice cubes in the glass, and yet it was delightfully warm.

The daughter of Zeus held the straw up to his mouth, and grinned when he failed to capture it between his lips.

"Here," she said, lifting the straw into his mouth with her free hand.

She was surprised when the boy eagerly emptied the glass of its contents in a matter of seconds. "Damn," Thalia remarked, impressed. "What does it taste like?"

"My mother's homemade blue chocolate chip cookies," he said, sighing wistfully. "You really have to try her cookies."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Speaking of food…" Percy hinted coyly. "You still haven't named a place."

"Because I'm…unnerved," she admitted reluctantly.

"Why?"

The daughter of Zeus shrugged. "I've never actually _asked _anyone out before. The dating thing hasn't really been my scene."

"Mine either," the demigod said. "But, I know I like spending time with you. And, if that time happens to include flirting, kissing, and having a romantic time together, I won't be complaining."

Thalia blushed. "I'm not asking you to be my…you know, boyfriend. Don't let the idea frighten you. I'm just asking you if you want to maybe go on a date and see how things go from there."

"Sparky," he said, earning him a glare. "I know. I'm not the one freaking out about it."

"I'm not freaking out."

"I never said you were." He smiled smugly.

"You implied it," she argued.

"You inferred it."

"Jackson!"

Percy laughed. "Hey!" he exclaimed suddenly. "I didn't cough that time. I think I may be getting better."

"Damn," Thalia swore, snapping her fingers. "How I enjoy seeing you in pain!"

He glared playfully. "You're the one who gave me the nectar," he joked. "And…that kiss might have helped to. You know, on second thought, I'm feeling a bit ill. I may need another to get me by."

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Love to stay all day, Jackson. But, I should really get around to that discussion with Chiron and Dinosaur."

The son of Poseidon chuckled again, his gorgeous eyes glinting in amusement. "Dionysus. He isn't Barney. Although, I have to admit, Dinosaur is a bit more accurate."


	29. In the End

**A/N: A very short end to a very long story. Before I begin, of course I must apologize for the length. And, I felt as if I had some loose ends I didn't manage to wrap up, but hopefully the chapter made up for it in quality. It's been a long wait and an even longer ride, but here is the final chapter. Think of it as a Christmas gift, if you will. **

**Also, Annabeth may come off as slightly um...bitchy in this, but I assure you that she is not going to be angry for long. Seeing as she was the closest to Luke, she is doomed to be the most conflicted over his betrayal.**

**In other, and slightly more depressing news, I still have yet to receive my laptop. So much for the Sea of Monsters. Therefore, I am most likely going to rewrite it, and try to recall as much information as I can, in order to have the sequel up in time for you all. The Kings of Olympus will be posted very soon, for those of you that follow it.**

**Anyway, enjoy the very last chapter of Thalia Grace & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. **

* * *

"So, you're the daughter of Zeus?" a chubby man inquired with a raise of his dark brow. "You look a lot like our father, that's for sure. Admittedly, you look a lot less intimidating than some of your other siblings. Namely, myself."

Thalia grew irritated, but sat across from the god of wine when he instructed her to do so. The couch was oddly uncomfortable, as she wouldn't have imagined a god's furniture piece being so stiff. She shifted on the cushion, unabashedly meeting the amused gaze of Dionysus.

Her immortal brother wasn't much. Even though she had heard rumors about his reckless behavior (courtesy of her father's complaints), she had to admit that he might have been attractive if he were in a younger form. And, of course, if he got rid of that sour attitude. He reminded her of a young Napoleon Bonaparte for some reason unknown to her. She just felt as if he resembled the emperor in a strange fashion.

Speaking of fashion, he dressed terribly, in a leopard print shirt and a pair of tacky shorts. He had a Van Dyke beard, and his eyes glistened red. They were bloodshot, she quickly realized.

"I'm less intimidating than _you_?" she repeated slowly, unable to resist the urge to challenge the god. It was in her nature to contradict, after all. "When shrimps learn to whistle."

"Shrimps may not be capable of whistling, but a demigod such as yourself is fully capable of behaving respectfully in the presence of an Olympian," Dionysus countered, a strange aura of power surrounding his words. Who knew the god of wine could be so regal? "Tell me, Tiffany—"

"Thalia," she cut in, rolling her eyes.

"—exactly when do you plan on acting appropriately?"

The daughter of Zeus tilted her head to the side in mock-contemplation and hummed sarcastically. "Your mother and I will consider it."

To her surprise, he didn't take the bait. "Heavens know I do miss bickering with my siblings, even though I would not admit so to their faces." Dionysus sighed tiredly, the smirk slipping off his face. "At least I am not forced to tolerate the abrasive personality of Father any longer."

Thalia wasn't sure how to respond to his statement, so she remained quiet.

A flicker of recognition shone through his bloodshot blue eyes. "Oh, that's right. Silly me. It seems I've forgotten how gullible you godlings are. It's always _'Daddy is just too busy to spend time with me! I completely understand. I'm going to be the best little hero ever! Hercules is my role model!' _Please. Give me a break. Even old Hercules wasn't able to appease Father."

Thunder rumbled across the sky, but the god of ecstasy didn't appear to be fazed by the display. Thalia guessed he must have been used to it by now.

"A demigod can tell himself every lie that he believes will mend his spirits, but all will fail to do so," the god said, moving from his rocking chair to sit next to her on the couch. "Gods are selfish, young lady. Then again, the same can be said for demigods. Ugh, heroes. You half-bloods accuse the gods of being insufferably vain. Bah!"

The daughter of Zeus held off her irritation, seeing the truth in his words. Was she that vain? She would like to think not, but she knew better than to trust her own judgment of herself. She recalled Hercules. He had used women, men, and creatures alike time and time again in order to fulfill heroic deeds.

Why was he telling her all of this stuff? What was he trying to get to? Despite her better judgment, she couldn't help but think about what he said. It was true that her father wasn't always available. He was the King of the Gods, after all. He couldn't rightfully abandon all of his tasks and endeavors in order to spend time with his teenage daughter.

The daughter of Zeus frowned, realizing she had been thinking similarly to the demigod stereotype. Her immortal half-brother would surely know more about their father than she. Could Zeus have changed? Did he actually care? Part of her really, really doubted it. She found her father's motives and actions rather dubious on occasion.

Dionysus brushed off her question, as if it didn't matter. She came to the conclusion that it probably didn't mean anything to him. She was just some stupid demigod.

"Is it true that you accompanied the demigods and satyr on their quest?" he asked, quickly summoning up a can of Diet Coke.

The daughter of Zeus made herself more comfortable on the couch, going as far as to place her boots on the coffee table and slouch in her seat. She received a glare from the god, but it was only brief. Then, he was back to shuffling a shimmering deck of cards.

"Yeah," she answered. "Yeah, I did."

Dionysus nodded, as if he were already absolutely sure of the fact. "Hmm, yes. Mother is pitching quite the big fit about you."

"Uh…Lady Semele, sir?"

Dionysus' mother _was _Semele, right? She did know some mythology, even if she didn't study it regularly. Why would his mother be ragging on her, though?

The god shook his head, an almost deceitful smirk on his lips. "Lady Hera," he corrected, drinking the last bit of soda from his can. "She favors being referred to as mother."

The daughter of Zeus grew nervous, and attempted to shake her anxiety off. She had more important things to worry about, anyway. Surely Dionysus was only teasing. Hopefully.

Thalia cleared her throat pointedly. "Not intending to appear rude or persistent, sir, but what does any of this have to do with me? Why have you demanded to speak with me?"

"No need to suck up, kid," the god said, snorting. "None of these other brats around here do so. Not even my own offspring wish to treat me properly. Just do as the other bastards and respond to me sarcastically."

Before she could reassert her question—she wasn't exactly patient—he sat his stack of cards down and briefly glanced over to her. "My intentions were to predict whether or not you would be a serious liability. Also, I was looking to affirm a few suspicions I had. Complaining about half-bloods is just a bonus."

"You don't want to hear about the quest or anything? You just wanted to meet me?"

He turned his violet gaze on her. Purple, crazed fire danced in his hues. Other than intimidate her, it seemed to fill her with warmth and made her feel at ease. "Yes. I can tell you are going to be a lot like that Perry Johnson kid, though."

"Percy Jackson," she corrected.

He rolled his eyes, but otherwise ignored her comment. "One more thing, before I choose to dismiss you."

"Yes?" Thalia asked, reluctantly. She really hoped he didn't want to send her on a quest to retrieve his magical grapevine of doom or something.

"Do you plan to attend Camp Half-Blood over the summer?" the god inquired, not even bothering to meet her eyes. Before she could speak, Chiron stepped into the room.

"Personally, I believe it would be for the best," the centaur added, smiling. "Two children of the Big Three, in the real world? With no offence intended, it would surely prove to be the next apocalypse."

"Which will most likely come very soon, what with these two brats alive," Dionysus mumbled. "I already questioned her, dear centaur. Inquiry is no longer a necessity."

Chiron didn't bother glancing towards the irritated god of wine. His soothing brown eyes settled on the daughter of Zeus. "Why don't you step outside with me, Thalia? I would very much like to talk to you."

As she stepped outside with the centaur, Dionysus called after their retreating forms. "For the record, Tina, I do not possess a magical grapevine of any form. I do, however, own a thyrsus."

The daughter of Zeus blushed in shame at his remark, before closing the door behind her. When Chiron motioned for her to take a seat, she quickly did so.

"As I have stated before, I think it would be best if you attended camp during the summer—"

"Okay," she said, cutting him off.

Her answer seemed to echo across the great hills, and she suddenly felt as if everyone had stopped what they had been doing to observe her. After glancing quickly to the grounds, she realized that a great number of campers _were _watching her, their eyes wide and mouths agape. Trying not to feel irked, Thalia turned her attention back to the slightly amused teacher.

"Are you sure? I understand that this can be quite inconvenient—"

"Yes." No hesitation.

Chiron cleared his throat, attempting to hold back a satisfied smile. "Very well. I will enroll you in the system as soon as possible."

System? The camp had a system?

"Fancy," she murmured, without thinking to stop herself. Silently reprimanding her tactlessness, she sheepishly scratched the nape of her neck. "So, like…do you have any questions about anything?"

Thalia hated how awkward she sounded, but Chiron simply laughed. Her awkwardness didn't seem to bother him, and she appreciated that. "No, dear Thalia," he replied, his expression bright. "You have answered the only one necessary."

Her bottom lip drew down into a slight pout. Chiron, noticing this almost immediately, chuckled good-naturedly. Her eyes flickered up to his form in surprise and, realizing that she looked like a child, she ceased pouting and cleared her throat.

"I was expecting more from you," she supplied honestly, beginning to fiddle with her fingers. "I thought you might have some questions for me."

"Percy, Annabeth, and Grover have already filled me in on the entire quest," the centaur assured her. "They told me you managed to wield your father's master bolt. Quite impressive. I have a suspicion that if you had been younger or less experienced with your powers, it would have incinerated you within minutes."

Thalia shrugged. "I didn't have any other weapons."

"Taking advantage of your resources," he remarked with an approving nod. "Not many demigods could have done what you have. I suspect you—and Percy, mind you—will grow to be admirable heroes. You two already show substantial power progression. I have trained many of your siblings, and none of them have come of age quite as fast as you have."

"What about Hercules?" she dared to ask. "He had super strength, even as an infant."

"Herculean strength," Chiron said, smiling a bit. "All children of Zeus, since the Twelve Labors, have received it. Other than most, Hercules had been born with it."

"Whoa, wait," she said, holding up a hand as if to halt the conversation. "All children of Zeus? I don't have it."

"Not yet," the centaur agreed. "However, you will earn it eventually. I have only had the honor of watching one demigod achieve such a skill—Demarcus. The boy reached his twentieth year before earning it. Soon after, unfortunately, he was overcome by a horde of monsters—"

"Gotcha," Thalia cut in, not wanting to hear of her brother's demise. The same thing could very well happen to her, and she didn't want to hear of any more ways she could be killed. "So, what makes you so sure I'll get super strength? Isn't it a bit cliché?"

Chiron hummed in thought, stroking his beard. "I have only seen two cases of such an ability, in Hercules himself and in Demarcus. It's mostly a rumor, and few believe it." His wise coffee eyes glinted in the afternoon light. "But, I do. Dionysus does as well. Only time can tell when you will receive the ability. We must be patient. Until then, we'll keep it quiet, yes?"

Thalia smirked, attempting to find humor where there was none. "All right. It'll be our little secret, then."

"Of course, I would approve of you consulting your father about it…if you would happen to encounter him, that is. Only he would be likely to answer you truthfully."

"If I happen to encounter him?" she repeated.

"Well…yes," the centaur said, slowly. "Not many demigods get the privilege of meeting their immortal parents. I only assumed that you shared this."

Her father, while absent at times, had always gone out of his way to communicate with her. Guilt coursed through her; there were half bloods that never got the chance to meet their parents, while she had always known of hers. Zeus, the least expected god to do so, had managed to stay rather active in her life.

She silently deemed that this made her more fortunate than a majority of others at camp, and it made her feel even worse. Why didn't the gods make more time for their offspring? If one of the Big Three could spend a lot of time with their child, what prevented the other gods from doing so? Questioning such a thing made her grow sick to her stomach.

Thalia met his gaze bravely, with a new sense of confusion flooding through her brain. "I do," she half-lied. She stood from her chair. "If that's all you needed to know, I think I might check on Percy now."

As if daring him to halt her actions, she slowly descended the steps of the Big House, and began making her way towards the infirmary. After making sure he was no longer watching her, she changed direction, in pursue of what she presumed to be the Athena cabin. It hadn't been her original intention to check on the son of Poseidon; she needed information, and Annabeth was her best source.

The strong, proud owl on the cabin door didn't intimidate her in the slightest, even though she could practically feel its gaze on her. Extending a closed fist in front of her, she knocked twice and awaited its opening. A blonde boy, with eyes the color of Annabeth's, flung the door open in irritation. When his eyes caught sight of the daughter of Zeus, the irritation washed from his features.

"So, you're the daughter of—"

"Yeah, we all know," she cut off. "I need to see Annabeth, please. It's urgent."

The boy looked slightly taken back, but he nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. Come in."

He walked her into the cabin, and she wasn't honestly surprised. Everything from battle strategies and maps to homework assignments and grocery lists littered the floor, beds, and tables. It was strangely organized, with the exception of the obvious mess. Annabeth hadn't been so neat while on the run. Thalia had been constantly picking up after the girl.

"It's not in the best condition, I know. We weren't expecting company," the boy apologized. "I'm Malcolm, by the way."

She shook his offered hand. "Thalia."

"It's nice to meet you," he said, before slowly backing away. "The rest of the cabin is attending archery class. Annabeth is in the bathroom right now, but I'll give you two some alone time to…you know, talk."

"Thank you," she managed to tell him before he was out of the cabin.

She made her way to what she guessed was Annabeth's bed. Pictures of their young family—Luke, Annabeth and herself—hung on the wall, along with sketches of remodeled monuments. Only a girl as brilliant as the blonde could draw such amazing, inspiring structures, and the thought alone made the older girl smile.

"Grant Tomb," a voice behind her supplied. Thalia wasn't startled by the sound of the smaller girl's voice. She had been expecting it. Annabeth enjoyed sneaking up on others.

"Ulysses?" the daughter of Zeus guessed. "Only famous Grant I know."

Annabeth stepped in beside the taller girl, nodding her head. "Yeah," she said. "It's in New York, you know."

"I've never seen it."

"Neither have I," the blonde said, heaving a sort of depressed sigh. "There are so many things to see, and so little time."

Thalia shrugged. "I could take you to see it one day, if you'd like."

The daughter of Athena grinned, her steel eyes twinkling. "You've always been like that."

"Like what?" the brunette asked, turning to face the other girl.

"So giving," the blonde provided. "You always thought you could solve all of our problems with a snap of your fingers. You get things done, Thalia. You go out of your way to take care of things for other people."

Thalia blushed, and internally cursed herself. "I'm not giving, Annie. I just figured that nothing was preventing me from offering, so I did."

"It still shocks me that Percy and you are so humble," the daughter of Athena mumbled thoughtfully. "Even though you both tend to be cocky—_occasionally_—you never truly think the best of yourselves."

"Just because my parents were arrogant doesn't mean I have to be."

"What did you come here for, Thalia? Not that I'm not glad to see you."

Thalia ran a hand through her short hair, taking a seat on the firm bed. Annabeth soon followed her example. The daughter of Zeus fiddled with her hands, trying to think of a way to start the belated conversation.

"Luke…" she started, and nearly froze when she heard the other girl's breathing hitch. "He's—"

"Gone," Annabeth filled in. "He left. He disappeared after poisoning Percy. No one knows where he could have ran off to."

The blonde's voice was obviously defensive. Even though Thalia didn't wish to push her to talk, she knew that she required information in order to plan. She may have not been a daughter of Athena or Ares, but she always tried to be prepared for battle.

"Do you know if there are any other campers that were joining him?"

"No," the shorter girl said, setting a hand on Thalia's knee. "I imagine there was a great number of them, but we haven't identified anyone as of yet. We're still working on it. Malcolm is supposed to check the camp's system."

System. There was that word again. What were they—a top-secret spy organization?

Thalia nodded slowly. "All right," she said. "Good. We need to find out as much as we can. Chiron, Dionysus, and the others may not be worried about anything, but I sure as hell am. It isn't like Luke to run off without finishing something. He'll be back."

"Stop that," Annabeth commanded suddenly, her voice surprisingly sharp.

"Stop what?" Thalia's eyes flickered to the other girl in confusion.

"Stop talking like he's the enemy."

"Annabeth—"

"Don't 'Annabeth' me!"

"What do you want to call you?" Thalia snapped back. "Billy?"

The daughter of Athena leaped from the bed and tossed a hard look over her shoulder. "Whatever. When you're done being an ass, I welcome you to try and continue a reasonable conversation with me. Until then, try and clear a path whenever you see me."

The blonde girl stomped her way into a back room and slammed the door behind her. The daughter of Zeus was damned near entranced, staring at the door in shock. How had things spiraled downwards so suddenly? One minute, they had been talking fine, and then the other girl had completely flipped out on her and stormed away.

Thalia shook her head in amused disbelief before standing from the bed. If Annabeth wanted to stand back and play the '_Luke is innocent_' game, then fine. She would stop his plans without her assistance if she had to. He had once been her friend, sure. But, he had betrayed them all. He had tried to kill Percy, and left Annabeth without bothering to glance over his fucking shoulder. He had hurt her friends and family, even if he had once been a part of the group. And Thalia wasn't exactly one to forgive so easily.

The daughter of Zeus was halfway across the camp before she happened to see a flash of blonde dancing past her pine tree. The hurried figure halted its movement, and a pair of crystal eyes met hers across the distance. Her skin hummed, veins boiling to an almost intolerable rate, and her fingers twitched in anticipation. Every nerve in her body urged her to draw her weapon and charge, but she quickly suppressed the urge when the blonde boy quickly spun around and sprinted far away from the camp he had once called home.


	30. AN & Announcement

**Author's Note:**

**Thankfully, I was reminded to post an AN on this story to announce the uploading of the prologue of Thalia Grace & the Olympians: The Sea of Monsters. Yes, finally, something in the relation to the series has been posted. I am sure it is already on display on my profile, or you may search it up if you'd like to read it. And, believe me, I encourage you all to do so. It would mean a lot. I hope not to disappoint. **

**Thank you to everyone who has stuck with the progression of this story, through and through, and I hope you enjoy SOM. Hope you all had a wonderful New Years. **

**LubthaNiBriste**


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